With the advent of the summer vacation, the Film Programmes Office (FPO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the International Children's and Youth Film Carnival 2019 (ICYFC), offering wonderful and fun-filled summer movie journeys for families.
 
     The ICYFC is a highlight of the International Arts Carnival and will present a selection of international animations, feature films and short films to be screened from July 12 to August 11 at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall, the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive and the Lecture Halls of the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum.
 
     Among the 11 feature films, seven are animations. In the 3D animation "Marnie's World" (2018), chubby cat Marnie leaves home for a secret agent job in which she meets several weird animals. They are mistaken for a gang of thieves and begin a hilarious journey. "Lotte and the Lost Dragons" (2019) presents the adventure of Lotte and her sister in finding the folk song of fire-breathing dragons. "Anchors Up – Boats to the Rescue" (2017) follows rescue boat Elias, who catches a gang in a harbour with his courage and help from his friends. The film won Best Children's Film (Amanda Awards) at the Norwegian International Film Festival 2018. In "Maya the Bee – The Honey Games" (2018), Maya has to win the Honey Games in order to stop the Empress from taking all the honey of her hive.
 
     Dreaming of becoming a music star, little cow Klara in "Cattle Hill" (2018) helps to save her father's farm and finds that she can be a star in many more ways. "Ploey – You Never Fly Alone" (2018) features Ploey, a little migratory bird who loses faith in his ability to fly and takes on a dangerous journey to Paradise Valley for survival. The film won Best Children and Youth Film at Iceland's Edda Awards 2019. In "Harvie and the Magic Museum" (2017), Harvie and his friend accidentally make the puppets in a puppet museum come to life, and worse still, the evil puppet master turns the whole city into puppets. Harvie therefore has to think of a plan to save everyone from danger. The film won Best Animated Feature Film at the San Diego International Kids' Film Festival 2018 and Best Animation Feature at the Queen City Film Festival 2018.
 
     The remaining four feature films demonstrate the brilliance and bravery of their characters. Little boy Patterson in "My Giraffe" (2017) comes up with a wonderful plan to take his best friend Raf the giraffe to school with him. The film won Kids' Festival Favourite at the Luxembourg City Film Festival 2019, Best Feature Film at the Sharjah International Children Film Festival 2018 and other awards. In "Little Miss Dolittle" (2018), Lilli, with a special ability to speak with animals, saves a zoo's animals with her talent. The film won the 2nd Prize of Best Live-Action Feature (Children's Jury) at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival 2018.
 
     "Help, I Shrunk My Parents" (2018) depicts the long-dead former Director of Felix's school returning to life and shrinking the Principal and Felix's parents with magic. Therefore, Felix must do everything to reverse this. The film won the Golden Sparrow for Best Feature Film at the German Children's Media Festival 2018. In "JerryMaya's Detective Agency – The First Mystery" (2018), young detectives Jerry and Maya have to clear their names by finding the real culprit of a mysterious book theft.
 
     The "Youthful Encounters" section will offer young movie-goers three films about growing up and its bittersweet moments. Set in Soviet Estonia during the Stalinist terror, "The Little Comrade" (2018) is a portrayal of an odd two-faced world from the children's perspective through the eyes of a 6-year-old girl, Leelo. The film won Best Film of the Year at the Estonian Film Journalists Association Award 2018, Best Feature Film at the UK Film Festival 2018 and other awards. "Los Bando" (2018) features a group of youngsters who pursue their music dreams, embarking on a crazy road trip. The film won Best Nordic Young Actor at Sweden's BUFF International Film Festival 2018, the Main Prize of Best Feature Film for Children (Children's Jury) at the Zlín Film Festival 2018 and other awards. In "Home Team" (2017), football prodigy Tito, who is blinded by fame and fortune in his soccer career, recognises what is most important in his life after an accident. The film won Best Actor of Latin Film Competition at the Gramado Film Festival 2018.
 
     This year's "Film Tunnel" section will screen the fantasy film classic "The NeverEnding Story" (1984). Based on the novel of the same name by German children's fiction writer Michael Ende, the film depicts little boy Bastian who is fascinated by the book "The NeverEnding Story". He then enters the land of Fantasia within the story and takes a bizarre adventure. The props and special effects in the film are impressive given the technology back at that time. Moreover, its theme song is considered one of the classics of the 1980s. The film won Best Production at the Bavarian Film Awards 1985, Best National Film at the Bambi Awards 1984 of Germany and other awards.
 
     Experienced dubbing artists Pat Kwok and Kinson Lai will perform live Cantonese dubbing for "Lotte and the Lost Dragons", "Anchors Up – Boats to the Rescue" and "My Giraffe", which will also have English subtitles. Other films have Chinese and English subtitles except "Marnie's World", which is in English without subtitles.
 
     Apart from the feature films, the FPO has picked numerous animations and shorts from around the world and grouped them into three programmes which will be screened during the ICYFC in the "World Animation & Shorts" section. The programmes are "The Odyssey of Love and Friendship", highlighting care and help in friendship; "The Spotlight Goes to… ANIMALS!", featuring lovely animals; and "We Are All Little Heroes!", depicting the big dreams of kids. Ken Kwan, a veteran scriptwriter, director and actor of children's drama, will host interactive activities in Cantonese during the programmes. 
      
     Tickets priced at $70 will be available from tomorrow (May 10) at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2019icyfc/index.html.
 

                

     Representatives of the Food and Health Bureau and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (May 9) signed a framework agreement with representatives of the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangzhou Municipality and the Guangzhou Customs District on the establishment of a joint meeting mechanism between Guangzhou and Hong Kong in relation to an agricultural project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in a bid to collaborate and roll out the project. 

     Tying in with the strategic blueprint of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the agricultural project aims to enhance the quality as well as the efficiency and transparency of production, procurement and supply chains of agricultural products to drive agricultural development. This will give additional guarantees for the food safety and quality of vegetables and fruits supplied to the Greater Bay Area and is conducive to quality brand-building for the products.

     The agricultural project advocates the use of technology to strengthen the traceability and transparency of information on agricultural products, expediting information exchanges on food safety in the Greater Bay Area and further enhancing the handling of food safety incidents and monitoring capability.

     At the launching ceremony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area agricultural project today, the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, and the Controller of the Centre for Food Safety of the FEHD, Dr Ho Yuk-yin, signed the framework agreement. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Chui said that under the project, agricultural food products supplied to the market of the Greater Bay Area have to fulfil the food safety standards of Hong Kong and Macao, so as to provide higher-quality food for consumers in the Greater Bay Area and to an even greater region.

     "With the concerted efforts of all parties concerned, I believe this project would further enhance the diversity and quality of agricultural products in the Greater Bay Area, benefiting the people in the Greater Bay Area including Hong Kong and Macao," Dr Chui said.

     Under the framework agreement, the HKSAR Government will co-ordinate its efforts in the implementation of the agricultural project in the Greater Bay Area and maintain close contacts with the relevant Central Authorities, the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Guangzhou Municipality and the Guangzhou Customs District on various fronts including food safety standards, information exchanges and agricultural co-operation, as well as give views and support on the project implementation.

    

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (May 8) conducted an anti-piracy operation in Yau Ma Tei and seized about 5 600 suspected pirated optical discs (PODs) and about 3 000 suspected obscene optical discs with an estimated market value of about $230,000.

     During the operation, Customs officers raided two shops in Yau Ma Tei and seized about 5 600 suspected PODs, mainly popular movies and drama series, and about 3 000 suspected obscene optical discs. Two men, aged 49 and 71, were arrested.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Customs has been carrying out stringent enforcement actions against the sale of infringing goods and will continue to step up patrols and enforcement actions against piracy activities.

     Under the Copyright Ordinance, any person who possesses an infringing copy of a copyright work with a view to selling it commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years.

     Under the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance, any person who possesses for the purpose of publication any obscene article commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for three years.

     â€‹Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

    

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, May 9, 2019 is 104.5(up 0.4 against yesterday's index).

     This summer, the International Arts Carnival (IAC) will offer a splendid array of inspirational and enjoyable programmes for all. Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the annual summer arts festival will run from July 5 to August 18 and will feature a series of arts programmes for families.
 
     In this year's carnival, performing groups from Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Vietnam, along with local groups, will present a variety of programmes including theatre, acrobatics, music, dance, multimedia theatre, black light puppet theatre, opera for babies and a puppet musical. Films from around the world will also be screened.
 
     The Vesturport theatre group from Iceland will start the festival with "The Heart of Robin Hood", an action-packed adaptation of the classic tale of Robin Hood. Acrobatics, live music and elements of romantic comedy add to the enthralling mix. The performers fly and dive with the help of a huge sloping wall, ropes and an onstage pool to engage in stunning fights.
 
     Vietnam's Lune Production will perform "À á»� Làng Phố", a work that immaculately merges acrobatics, contortionism, martial arts, dance, comic elements and modern stage design to showcase a dazzling feast with Vietnamese flair. Its director Tuan Le was the first solo artist member of Vietnamese descent in the world-famous Cirque du Soleil.

     Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia from Canada will use black light puppets and cheery music to stimulate curious young minds in "The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites". The Royal Swedish Opera will aim to inspire babies and toddlers with the original opera "Myriads of Worlds" with realms of colours, shapes, sound and motion. Theater Terra from the Netherlands will showcase engaging puppets and actors, a whimsical set and original songs in "The Little Mermaid", based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale.
 
     La Companyia del Príncep Totilau from Spain will bring together actors and puppets, large-scale video images and movement in the entertaining multimedia music theatre work "Monsieur Croche: The Dreams of Composer Claude Debussy", while Orquestra de Cambra de l'Empordà from Spain, with its 12 versatile string musicians, will put a delightfully different spin on the world of classical music in "Concerto a Tempo d'Umore".
 
     The Only Stage will captivate the audience with pleasing Cantonese songs in "The Nightingale". Contemporary dance group Unlock Dancing Plaza and Namstrops' dancers from Japan, together with Sunfool, a pop-up paper art artist, will present a fun and energetic production in "KU-SO- OLYMPICS". Fong Fong Projet d'Art will take kids and parents on an adventurous journey in "Chickens' Eggsecutive Order".
 
     Other attractive programmes will include:
 
* "STEAM – The Four Great Inventions" by Zuni Icosahedron;
* "A Musical Treasure Hunt 3" by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra;
* "A Sea of Smiling LT Ducks" by Hong Kong Dance Company;
* "The Odyssey of Little Dragon" by City Contemporary Dance Company;
* 2019 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Concerts by the Music Office; and
* International Children's and Youth Film Carnival 2019 by the Film Programmes Office.
 
     There will also be the "Summer Fun Party" presented by the Community Programmes Office and outreach and school touring programmes. Workshops, backstage tours and exhibitions will also be part of the extension activities of the IAC.
 
     Tickets will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from tomorrow (May 10) onwards. For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999.
 
     For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2370 1044 or visit www.hkiac.gov.hk.