Hong Kong Film Development Council Chairman Jack So Tuesday urged Hong Kong's movie industry to take advantage of its "golden opportunity" to expand further into the Chinese mainland market, a government release said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Guangdong-Hong Kong Film Industries Co- operative Symposium, So said the local movie industry is no longer subject to mainland quota restrictions thanks to the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, according to the press release from the Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

"Guangdong province ranks top in terms of city cinema box office (takings). It accounts for about 15 percent of the total box office (takings) across the mainland. With Guangdong being confirmed by the Central Government as the first city for cultural exchange with Hong Kong and Macao in August this year, the film industries between Hong Kong and the mainland are encouraged to make more exchanges and enhance further co-operation," So said.

"This is a golden opportunity for the Hong Kong film industry," he added.

A 100-strong Hong Kong film industry delegation visited Guangdong in a promotion campaign last week which will expand across the Chinese mainland, China's Taiwan and Southeast Asian markets.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2008)