HONG KONG 2005

Held annually in February and March, the Hong Kong Arts Festival is the most important international festival in Asia and has become highly regarded worldwide since it began in 1973. With a fine array of performers taking part, the 2005 festival attracted over 104 000 people who attended 123 performances, with an average attendance of over 87 per cent and over half of all performances sold out. The programmes in the 2005 Festival included the Polish National Opera's Otello; Amber by the National Theatre Company of China; the Orchestra of the 18th Century under Frans Brüggen; the Blind Boys of Alabama; Poncho Sanchez; Lila Downs; Ballet Nacional de España; Béjart Ballet Lausanne; Nederlands Dans Theater III; local dramas The French Kiss and i-City and the dance theatre production Little Prince Hamlet by young Hong Kong and Asian artists.

The LCSD presented the six-week International Arts Carnival in the summer, a series of cultural programmes and interactive activities with the emphasis on family entertainment Before the carnival opened, three drama and dance teams toured 110 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. Other than the performances from overseas, the carnival also commissioned local artist groups to produce drama and music programmes for parents and children. A total of 447 events, featuring 27 local and six overseas groups, were presented with an attendance of 174 000.

The Latin Passion Festival, presented by the LCSD from October 20 to November 20, featured an exhilarating range of music, dance and theatre, demonstrating both traditional and contemporary Latin American performing arts. The opening concert featured the legendary music diva Omara Portuondo of Cuba's Buena Vista Social ClubTM and the festival ended with the sold-out concert by the Brazilian Bossa Nova female vocalist Rosa Passos. The festival was complemented by film shows, exhibitions and community activities presented by seven Latin American consulates-general. A total of 67 cultural events, featuring 18 local and 20 overseas groups were presented with an attendance of 76 000.

Presented by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society Limited, the 29th Hong Kong International Film Festival offered a wide range of programmes from 'The Barco Experience' to 'Actor in Focus: Andy Lau'. The 16-day festival also included a retrospective section contributed by the Hong Kong Film Archive. Awards presented during the event included the Humanitarian Awards for Documentaries, the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Prize, the SIGNIS Award and the new SKYY VODKA Short Film Competition Award. A total of 298 films from over 40 countries were shown during the festival.