The Asian premiere of Soi Cheang’s noir thriller, Mad Fate, starring Gordon Lam and Lokman Yeung, and the world premiere of Elegies, Ann Hui’s lyrical documentary portrayal of the topography of contemporary local poetry, will open the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF47) on March 30, 2023.

The world premiere of Vital Sign, an affecting drama directed by Cheuk Wan-chi and starring Louis Koo, Yau Hawk-sau, and Angela Yuen, will close the festival on April 10, 2023.

Also joining HKIFF’s young ambassador Jennifer Yu are local documentarians Tsang Tsui-shan, Dora Choi, and Haider Kikabhoy, whose latest films, Winter Chants and To Be Continued, will gala premiere at the festival.

HKIFF47’s highlights include award-winners from major international film festivals and the latest from master filmmakers such as Werner Herzog, Cristian Mungiu, Frederick Wiseman, and Hong Sang-soo.

Returning to its traditional March and April dates after last year’s postponement, the hybrid HKIFF47 will showcase no fewer than nine world premieres, six international premieres, and an 67 Asian premieres among some 200 films curated from 64 countries and regions worldwide.

Largely absent from Hong Kong since 2019, overseas filmmakers will return to meet the local audiences in person. They include Tsai Ming-Liang, who will bring his latest feature Where, and hold a masterclass with Lee Kang-Sheng following the screenings of his short Where Do You Stand, Tsai Ming-Liang?. Filmmaker-in-Focus Soi Cheang will attend a Face to Face session to share his insights on life and cinema with the public at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre’s Grand Theatre.