Two shortlisted entries for the 28th ifva Independent Short Film and Video Media Festival have withdrawn after failing to pass the inspection and screening requirements. Critics have pointed the implementation of the national security law, resulting in films self-censoring to varying degrees and audience members suffering the loss.
The two films involved are “Elephant in Castle,” a 2D short cartoon production from the animation category, and “Lost a part of ” from the open category.
At the end of two posts on ifva’s Facebook page introducing the screenings of all shortlisted entries, it stated that the two films could not satisfy the requirements set by The Office for Film, Newspaper, and Article Administration (OFNAA). The directors of both films had decided not to show them because they could not show their films in their entirety. But the other works in the program will not be affected.
Created by photographer and independent filmmaker Chan Hau-chun, “Lost a Part of,” is a 30-minute film with Cantonese dialogue and Chinese and English subtitles. It was initially scheduled to be screened at the Louis Koo Cinema in the Hong Kong Arts Centre on March 10. It consists of many fragmented images, including scenes of social movement, windy seaside, flooded pedestrian tunnel, delivery of prison vans, and other scenes. The movie’s introduction is still on ifva’s website and is written, “If the body still has memory, how should it then respond to the experience of being here in the past few years?”
The film was approved to be screened at the Jumping Frames—Hong Kong International Movement-image Festival 2022, at the Eaton Hotel on Sept. 1, 2022, and Broadway Cinematheque on Sept. 8. At that time, the film was not required to delete scenes.
Elephant in the Castle
The introductory section of “Elephant in Castle” is still visible on ifva’s website. The film is 4 minutes and 45 seconds long, without any dialogue or subtitles, and was produced by animator Florence Lee Yuk-ki. The introductory section mentions the film as being made between 2019 and 2020. It also describes the changes of the director, as well as painting her emotional, aesthetic, and tactile responses towards the city where she grew up.”This year’s ifva festival has added new terms to the participants, stating that the shortlisted works must be screened publicly at the Louis Koo Cinema in the Hong Kong Arts Centre at the festival next month, and the screened version must be identical to the original version submitted for it to be eligible for awards. In other words, both films have no chance of winning any awards in this year’s event.
Veteran media personality Ng Chi-sum said on his Internet program that he respected the director’s decision not to edit the film and criticized the authorities for adding elements of the Hong Kong National Security Law to film censorship, which worried film investors. He said, “films with sensitive content are not encouraged. If it is filmed but unable to be screened, that will become a total loss.” Even though investment in independent short films is usually not that high, considering whether they can be screened after filming will be an added worry and could become a reason for self-censorship.
National Security Law
On June 11, 2021, the OFNAA revised, without prior notice, the censorship guidelines in the “Film Censorship Ordinance” with additional content from the National Security Law. If the censors believe that the sanction of the film may endanger national security, the film will not be released. The revision was published and became effective on the same date. The new regulations also require censors to “consider the film on its entirety and its impact on viewers, taking into account their duty to prevent and stop acts or activities that endanger national security, as well as Hong Kong residents’ common obligation to safeguard national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.” At the Fresh Wave Short Film Festival held in the same month, one local exhibitor’s short film “Far from Home,” having a plot with the background of the anti-extradition movement, was refused a certificate of approval by OFNAA.At the time, Tenky Tin Kai-man, a senior actor, believed that the film censorship system in mainland China might be even better than that in Hong Kong. Because in mainland China, the film bureau first sanctions the script before shooting, while in Hong Kong, the film is sanctioned only after it is produced. In comparison, it is obvious the risk of investment loss in Hong Kong is much more considerable.
On Aug. 24, 2021, the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Executive Council, approved the submission of the “Film Censorship (Amendment) Bill 2021” to the Legislative Council to ensure more effective implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. At that time, Hong Kong Film Workers Federation spokesperson Tin expressed the industry’s concern that the authorities set no objective “red lines.” And the most worrying was that they could easily fall into the censorship trap without realizing it during the filming process.
The draft passed the third reading in the Legislative Council on Oct. 27, 2021. The new regulation stipulates that inspectors must consider national security factors when reviewing films and empowers the Chief Secretary for Administration to instruct film inspectors and supervisors that if there are films already released but not conducive to national security, they could revoke the certificate of permission for the film.
Consequently, many films related to the anti-extradition movement failed to be released in Hong Kong, including “Revolution of Our Times” and “Drifting Petals,” which won the Golden Horse Award for Best Documentary Film. At the Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival in June 2022, the short film “Time, and Time Again,” with the background of a missing girl, Christy, was taken out because it failed to pass the screening process.
