The Honolulu Academy of the Arts in conjunction with the Hawaii Chinese Civil Association is currently presenting the 3rd Annual Chinese Film Festival. There are six films in the program, half from the mainland - Electric Shadows, The World, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - the other half from HKSAR.

These three HK films, notably, comprise the entire of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's Infernal Affairs trilogy. The festival screenings of Infernal Affairs 2 and Infernal Affairs 3 will mark their North American premieres. Given the upcoming Scorsese remake this is an auspicious occasion as it will allow Americans to experience the full scope of Lau and Mak's complex vision.

Infernal Affairs is an immensely important film for HKSAR. Since the handover, the movie industry has faced many difficulties. Lau and Mak's police-triad thriller came like manna from heaven and proved that HK movies could still outdo Hollywood blockbusters in the local market, as well as gain international acclaim.

Andrew Lau and Alan Mak certainly proved that they were not one-trick ponies. And with the smash hit success earlier this year of Initial D, (it made over HKD15,000,000 in its first four days of release), a look into the world of drift racing based on the popular manga, they proved they were tuned into the vigorous pop cinema that HK's mainstream audiences seem to want to watch.

With the US remake of Infernal Affairs, starring Leonard DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, some are worried  that Hong Kong's cinematic achievements will be overshadowed by bland Americanizations whose publicity campaigns could all but block out memory of the originals. If we are to survive, we need successful and talented locals like Lau and Mak whom can ensure the HK voice is not Americanized - and we need programs like Honolulu's Annual Chinese Film Festival to ensure that international viewers can watch our movies before they're pillaged by Uncle Sam.

The festival runs from the 3rd to the 19th of December.

(hkfilmart December 7, 2005)