The 5th Animation Support Program Premiere

The 5th Animation Support Program

Drive the Innovations in Hong Kong Animation Industry
With Inspirations and Creative Ideas from Young Generations of Animators

Organized by the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association (HKDEA) and sponsored by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the “5th Animation Support Program” (5th ASP) held its premiere at the Hong Kong Arts Centre Cinema today for the 14 original animations produced under the project, allowing local animators to share their animation works with the industry and public.

The premiere was officiated by Dr. Bernard Chan, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government. Other guests included Mr. Gabriel Pang, the Chairman of the HKDEA, Ms. Fiona Lam, Acting Head of CreateHK, and Ms. Alice Mak Ka Pik, Famous Children Caricaturist and McDull Founder, etc.

“It is the fifth ASP, which has been received acclaim from the local animation community and whose premiere is well regarded as one of the major events in the industry. With the sponsorship of CreateHK, the ASP, first launched in 2012, has nurtured about 80 animation start-ups and small enterprises, offering them the chance to demonstrate their creativity and skills by creating their original animations,” Mr, Gabriel Pang, Chairman of the HKDEA, said.

“The success of the ASP in nurturing talents also proves the huge potential of local animation industry. We are honored to witness the achievements of the 14 animation enterprises participating in the 5th ASP which, with their teamwork and creativity, have produced unique original animations with distinctive styles. This year, to acknowledge the outstanding performances of these animations, we also present the Gold, Silver Bronze and Merit Awards of The Best Animation (Start-ups) Award and the Gold, Silver and Merit Awards of The Best Animation (Small Enterprises) Award (with Gold, Silver and Merit Awards) to the winners, with a view to giving further encouragement to the animators for them to produce more quality animations.

“The vision of the ASP is to nurture local animation start-ups and small animation enterprises with a view to promoting the development of the local animation industry by providing funding, training programs and professional mentorship for the participants to produce their original animation works with more creativity and technical capability, thereby making locally produced animations more competitive internationally. Some of the outstanding animations produced under the ASP have gained recognition in international and local competitions. The awards attained include Gold Mention and Silver Award (Best Technique) in the 19th DigiCon6 Awards Asia-Pacific Grand Final held recently in Japan in last November. Other awards include the Gold and Silver Awards of the 21st ifva Awards (Animation Category) in Hong Kong, the Best Animation Award of the Ouchy Film Awards held in Switzerland and the Best Short Animation Award of Golden Panda International Short Film Festival in Vancouver, etc,” said Mr Pang.

Dr. Bernard Chan, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, and Ms. Fiona Lam, Acting Head of CreateHK, congratulated HKDEA for having successfully organised the ASP again. They also wished the animations produced under the 5th ASP enjoy great acclaim when they are exhibited at the coming Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) 2018.

The 5th ASP features two categories, namely Animation Start-ups and Small Animation Enterprises. Out of all applicants, a total of 8 animation start-ups and 6 small animation enterprises have been selected by a vetting committee comprising industry professionals to participate in the ASP. Each selected enterprise then received a maximum subsidy of HK$88,000/HK$165,000 for producing their own 3-minute/5-minute original animation with storyline in accordance with the category they were admitted to. A mentorship program was also provided for them to receive advices and guidance on technical and production skills, and business development from professional animators.

After several months of continuous effort, 14 participating animation enterprises finally presented their animations to the industry and the public at today’s premiere. Among them, 8 animation enterprises were also presented with The Best Animation (Start-ups) Awards and The Best Animation (Small Enterprises) Awards. The awards were presented by Dr. Bernard Chan and Ms. Fiona Lam respectively.

The premiere also marked the beginning of a series of promotional activities for the 14 animations produced under the 5th ASP, including the broadcasting of them on local TV channels, social media platform, internet, exhibition at the FILMART 2018 and screening on other major commercial platforms for reaching out to more viewers and potential business partners. Moreover, the participating animation enterprises will be encouraged to participate in various contests with their animations produced under the 5th ASP, such as the DigiCon6 ASIA Awards organized by the Japanese broadcaster, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) Television, the King Boon Award of the China International New Media Short Film Festival Awards held in May during the China International Cultural & Creative Industry Expo, the Shanghai TV Festival and the Festival International du Film d’Animation d’Annecy held in June, etc, so as to assist them in building brand presence and sales network across different platforms in order for them to grow their own businesses.

To view the 14 local animations produced by the participating enterprises of the 5th ASP and to learn more about the 5th ASP, please visit the official website:https://www.animation-ssp.com。

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For media enquiries, please contact AQ Communications Ltd., the PR representative of the 5th Animation Support Program:

Jay Chan         Tel: (852) 2137 9702／9517 4217         Email: ：jchan@aqcomm.com

Vicky Lau        Tel: (852) 3421 2583 / 6406 3558      Email: ：vlau@aqcomm.com

List of Participating Companies of the “5th Animation Support Program” (in alphabetical order of company names)

Start-ups

Small Enterprises:

Eligibility of Participation

Participating start-ups and small enterprises should be:

• a local enterprise holding valid business registration certificate;
• an enterprise with primary focus on animation production; and
• meet the requirements in the following table:

Vetting Committee Members, Judging Panel Members and Mentors (in no particular order)

「The 5th Animation Support Program Premiere