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Art of Commercials 2021

Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre 
Date: 2021.06.17 - 2021.07.03
Price: HK$80 / HK$64* / HK$280 (Package - One ticket for each of the Programmes 1-5) / Further discounts for group bookings of over 20 tickets 

This year, Art of Commercials continues to present outstanding work from the best advertising festivals from around the world! In the midst of the pandemic, advertisers keep up with their drive of creativity and determination to move the world and cheer for us! The programme will present commercials from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Spikes Asia, the AICP Show, the Best of British Arrows from the past 40 years and Made in Lockdown, the Seoul Creative Festival by TVCF and the Kam Fan Awards Hong Kong. It is not all about products and entertainment, but it is also about exploring what humans and our world need. Overseas and local media experts will also share their insights in how advertising festivals encourage creativity at our talks.

 

 

 

Programme 1: Selection from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2019

 

Dates and times:

17/6 (Thu) 8pm

20/6 (Sun) 8pm

3/7 (Sat) 8pm*

*With after-screening talk

 

101 mins | Digital | Colour | In English, Norwegian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin, Thai with English subtitles

 

Inspired by the Cannes Film Festival, a group of advertisers felt the need to recognise and honour the creativity of advertising, and founded the International Advertising Film Festival in Venice, Italy, which later became Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity that now takes place in Cannes, France. It has become the most internationally recognised and influential advertising event. Only the world’s best work can enter its competition. When a bot writes a commercial script for a famous burger brand, you’d still laugh and eat it without knowing what it’s talking about anyway. Aside from us, who are also working hard behind their computers? What have stood the test of time are not just the good things, but also racism – time for more change. In the spirit of sportsmanship, all colours are equal. Have a crush on him/her? Talk to him/her! “Step out of your head!” When you’re doing things that many don’t agree with, forget the haters, because all you need is love ♥

There will be a talk by ad veterans after one of the screenings.

 

 

 Programme 2: Selection from the Kam Fan Awards Hong Kong 2019 & Spikes Asia 2021

 

Dates and times:

18/6 (Fri) 8pm

26/6 (Sat) 3pm

1/7 (Thu) 2:30pm*

*With after-screening talk

 

125 mins | Digital | Colour | In Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin, English with English subtitles

 

Commercials of the Kam Fan Awards are certainly the closest to our lives in Hong Kong. It also showcases internationally collaborated works. There’s always a fried chicken that’s meeting you under a full moon. That chicken is so delicious that it’ll make you sing. There’s a watch commercial claiming that “ it’s good enough to be loved regardless of the duration”, but isn’t it also good to “love and to cherish, till death do us part”. Do you recognise your mother when you smell her? Preserve our heritage, let our next generations pass on.

Asia’s top creative all gather at Spikes Asia! Works from Thailand, Japan and the Philippines are so quirky that they can blow your mind! While you laugh, you also gape. (Please don’t choke) Singaporean work shows care towards its people – even when your body and mind face challenges everyday, you’re not the darkness that you endured; you’re the light that refused to surrender. Taiwanese commercials are sensitive to your senses and needs. Indian commercials take social issues centre stage, and give people their voice with humour and courage. There will be a talk by ad veterans after one of the screenings.

 

 

Programme 3: Selection from the AICP Show 2020

 

Dates and times:

19/6 (Sat) 4pm

23/6 (Wed) 8pm

1/7 (Thu) 8pm*

*With after-screening talk. Conducted in English.
Guest speakers: Matthew Miller, CEO & President of the AICP
Elaine Chow (Budming), Hong Kong ad veteran

 

90 mins | Digital | Colour | In English

 

The AICP Show, The Art & Technique of the Commercial, is more than just an awards show judging the best commercials created in the moving image. It's an ongoing archival project with cultural and artistic significance. Since the Show's inception in 1992, the honoured work is preserved in The Museum of Modern Art's Department of Film's state of the art archives for future generations to study and are available for use or exhibition by the museum's curators.

How do American commercials address the issues that youngsters face these days? How do they help them? As advocates push for change, they tackle present-day realities with courage. Bill Murray is stuck in Groundhog Day again! But as the day repeats, he’s also developed smarter ways to live the day. He jumps onto a jeep and pursues the lifestyle that he wants. Happy plastic bricks jump out of the box and build a new world!

President and CEO of the AICP, Matthew Miller, will be in virtual conversation with Hong Kong ad veteran, Elaine Chow (Budming), after one of the screenings. The talk will introduce how the AICP Show selects its works, its recent global call for entries and how a trade association and an awards show can help and celebrate the industry.

 

 

Programme 4: The Best of British Arrows and Special Showcase: Made in Lockdown 2020

 

Dates and times:

19/6 (Sat) 8pm

22/6 (Tue) 8pm

25/6 (Fri) 8pm

 

75 mins | Digital | Colour | In English

 

The British Arrows awards the most outstanding British moving image commercials every year. The best work of British advertising from the past 40 years is sprinkled with English humour, it also exudes an endearing old-school charm. Let’s feel the passage of time! As the pandemic was raging in the UK last year, the awards show was cancelled, but the British Arrows smartly came up with the special showcase, Made in Lockdown, to address our challenging present! How do advertisers overcome difficulties creatively? A television proclaims that its picture is the most life-like in 1977. Film director Wes Anderson celebrates Christmas with you in the style of The Grand Budapest Hotel. A boy band farms, sings and eats yoghurt with you. A spoof on an American soccer coach’s cultural clash in England will tickle your funny bone. Kevin Hart wants to become David Beckham. What? When we want to see our loved ones during lockdown, at least we’ve tried, “It’s not the best get-together, but it’s the best way to get together.” How do people drink tea in England when they need to social distance? A funny guy drives with a song to “dream the impossible dream.”

 

 

Programme 5: Selection from the Seoul Creative Festival 2020 by TVCF

 

Dates and times:

20/6 (Sun) 4pm

24/6 (Thu) 8pm

27/6 (Sun) 3pm*

*With after-screening talk. Conducted in Cantonese.
Guest: Patrick Suen (Hallyu columnist)

 

75 mins | Digital | Colour | In Korean with English subtitles

 

The Seoul Creative Festival by TVCF is the largest moving image commercial festival of Korea. All featured works are Korean. With the motto, "With the majority's perspective, with fairness", all works are chosen by media professionals and netizens. When teenagers do not know their rights when they get employed, they get easily exploited. How can they be protected? Child trafficking and abuse are frequent, is there any way to help parents safeguard their little ones? Augmented reality (AR) brings physically challenged children to new worlds. A mobile app helps deaf-mute people communicate with their families. No matter how busy you are, get prepared and wait for the opportunity to realise your thoughts. Gong Yoo helps you with your everyday needs. The uncle with the firm guns, Ma Dong-seok, enjoys great sounds from another realm with you.

Hallyu columnist, Patrick Suen, will chat about the Korean society in commercials after one of the screenings.

 

About the speakers

Elaine Chow (Budming, Hong Kong ad veteran)
A Hong Kong native, Elaine Chow graduated from York University (Canada), majoring in Mass Communications and Psychology. She spent her advertising career in several high-profile 4As agencies and won multiple awards. With two decades of experience as an advertiser, she is a seasoned creative director, media executive and commercial director. She is also a renowned film critic, lyricist and columnist whose works have appeared on several major media outlets. There are 11 books under her authorship. In 2007, she joined Next Media Group as Chief Creative Officer, overseeing founder Jimmy Lai’s multimedia business in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
 
Matthew Miller (President & CEO, AICP)
In his position as President and CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP), Matt Miller presides over an organization whose members account for 80 to 85 percent of all ads in the motion image that air nationally, regardless of media platform. He is the spokesperson for more than 400 production and post production companies in the AICP membership.
The association has national offices in New York and Los Angeles, as well as regional offices across the country, and aids its members by disseminating information; negotiating labor agreements; developing industry standards; providing professional development; and marketing production through AICP Week, which includes the AICP Show and the AICP Next Awards. The AICP Show is an exhibit of the artistry and expertise of commercial filmmakers, while the AICP Next Awards honors innovation in marketing. The AICP Awards also includes the AICP Post Awards, which honor artistry in post production.
 
Patrick Suen (Hallyu columnist)
Patrick Suen, film critic, columnist, and an advisor to Korea Tourism Organization. Working in the media for 20 years, he has been writing film reviews,  film-related features and columns on Korean society and culture  in newspapers and magazines. He graduated with an M.Phil. in Comparative Literature from The University of Hong Kong. He has worked for various Korean directors and actors / actresses, and served as moderator and interpreter for Asian Film Awards (AFA), Hong Kong Asian Film Festival and Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival. His articles appear in Ming Pao Weekly, Apple Daily, Esquire, Sky Post and Headline Daily. He is a nomination advisor to Asian Film Awards and jury member of the 22nd and 23rd ifva awards.

 

Lili Jiang (Group Creative Director, Cheil Hong Kong)
Lili was born an advertising practitioner. She started her career as a copywriter with DDB Shanghai since graduation from university. In 2008, she relocated to Hong Kong to work at Leo Burnett. She then joined Cheil Hong Kong in late 2015. As the Group Creative Director at Cheil, Lili is in charge of both multinational & local blue chip clients such as Samsung, Samsonite, Swire Property, American Tourister, 1O1O, MTR and many more. Lily’s work has been recognized by all major global and local creative award shows, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, the One Show, London International Awards, Clio Awards, New York Festivals, Spikes Asia, ADFEST, Ad Stars, Kam Fan and LongXi Awards. She’s also named the #2 most awarded creative in Hong Kong and the #4 hottest creative in Asia by Campaign Brief Asia 2020.
As a female creative, Lily has always been invited to join the jury of some regional and international advertising award shows. Her judging experience spanned across the D&AD Awards, Cannes Lion, the One Show, Clio Awards, New York Festival, Spikes Asia, ADC awards, Award Awards, White Square Award and Citra Pariwara.
Lili’s guiding star comes from author Maya Angelou: “You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

 

Venue

Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre

UB, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

 

Tickets are available on art-mate now.

 

Individual tickets

$80/*64

 

Tickets package (Programme 1 to 5)

$280

 

*20% discount for tickets for full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above, and people with disabilities and the minder and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. Tickets for CSSA recipients available on a first-come-first-served basis.

*For each screening, 20% off for each purchase of 4 or more standard tickets.

 

Group booking offer for each purchase of 20 or more tickets. For details, please refer to https://bit.ly/2ThSKoJ

 


Presenter: Hong Kong Arts Centre

Co-Presenter: The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong

In Collaboration with: AICP, British Arrows Awards, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Seoul Creative Festival by TVCF, Spikes Asia, U.S. Consulate General Hong Kong & Macau

Facebook:

Hong Kong Arts Centre – Moving Images 香港藝術中心:流動影像
Hong Kong Arts Centre

Instagram:

@hongkongartscentre
@hongkongartscentremovingimages

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