One Second Champion and the interminable spirit of the Hong Kong film industry

One Second Champion and the interminable spirit of the Hong Kong film industry
PHOTO: Facebook/Nonkul

Wednesday March 24, 2021 - The Hong Kong film One Second Champion has beaten out all the other competitors to emerge as the Hong Kong box office champion for the second weekend running. The solo directing effort by Vampire Cleanup Department co-director Chiu Sin Hang tells the story of a father, played by Canto-pop singer, Endy Chow Kwok Yin, who takes up prizefighting to help fund surgery for his hearing-impaired son.

Born with the ability to see one second into the future, this "superpower" gives him a powerful edge in the boxing ring, until one day he loses the ability, right before a potentially deadly match with an elite Thai boxer, played by Chanon Santinatornkul, (Bad Genius). One Second Champion has collected over HK$7 million (S$1.2 million) over two weekends at the Hong Kong box office.

The never-say-die spirit of the film's protagonist can be said to mirror that of the Hong Kong film business. Cinemas were ordered shut on 2 December 2020 due to the surge in Covid-19 infections in the territory, missing Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year peak trading seasons.

Even with 50 per cent capacity limitations, cinemas in Hong Kong have seen a surge in business since the reopening in late February. The films that have mainly contributed to this surge are locally produced films, including Shock Wave 2, starring Andy Lau and Sean Lau and One Second Champion.

This narrative of local films taking over the territories box offices in pandemic times has been played out across Asia; similar reports are emerging from film distributors in Japan, Korean, China, Taiwan and Singapore.

The absence of Hollywood blockbusters in these territories with a population unable to travel for leisure has even broken pre-Covid box office records. In China, movie attendance during the lunar new year celebrations was 21 per cent higher than in 2019. And in Japan, IMAX reported its best opening day ever for the sci-fi animated film, Shin Evangelion despite the atypical Monday release date (8 March).

One Second Champion is produced by mm2 Entertainment Hong Kong Limited. The Hong Kong-based film studio is actively involved in local film production and investments. Upcoming releases include The Shadows, a psychological-suspense thriller about two psychiatrists who become involved in the investigation of a murder case, starring Stephy Tang, Philip Keung, Tse Kwan Ho, Ling Man Lung, Jennifer Yu and Babyjohn Choi.

Directed by Singaporean Director Glenn Chan, the film was invited to premiere last year at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, as well as the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, a mecca for horror, thrill and science fiction film in Europe.

Also releasing soon is Drifting by new director Jun Li, a story about the street sleepers in Hong Kong, starring the award-winning actor Francis Ng, also with Loletta Lee, Tse Kwan Ho, Chu Pak Hong and Cecilia Choi. The film was been shortlisted for competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, as well as for the Firebird award at the upcoming Hong Kong International Film Festival in April.

"mm2 Entertainment Hong Kong has been a champion for Hong Kong film production since 2016. Through the pandemic, we remain passionate about working with emerging film directors to grow the talent pool and make films in the style of the great Hong Kong movies.

''Our strategy to support and grow local filmmakers has been fruitful, even as the industry transforms with the growth of streaming services. We are thankful that even as audiences and tastes change, there will always be demand for entertainment and good storytelling," says Mani Man, General Manager, mm2 Entertainment Hong Kong.

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