The Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association (MFTPA), one of the co-organizers for the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM), once again partnered with TorinoFilmLab this year to present the Macao-TorinoFilmLab training program unveiled a few days ago. Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants learned and exchanged perspectives online this year.
The two film projects, Be Ordinary directed by Tracy Choi and LONG DAY, LONG NIGHT directed by Penny Lam, are among the local entries of MFTPA’s program calling for new film projects in Macao in June. After a rigorous selection process, the two film projects were selected for the annual training program. The two teams underwent online training in mid-September, which included one-on-one meetings with professional mentors and panel discussions on the projects.
Director Tracy Choi stated, “Questions raised by mentors and targeted training help the teams develop sophisticated details and inspire their innovative thinking, which lead to enhancement in different areas such as script shooting, collaboration and communication. Team members also review each other's work and provide practical advices through online discussion, which is convenient and efficient. Nowadays, more and more young people have a strong passion for filming. I look forward to more similar programs in the future.”
Director Penny Lam expressed, “This training program is oriented to optimize the synopses of film projects. The online experience is novel and leads to more focused communication. By sharing concepts with different filmmakers, participants can gain an international perspective on the current development of local film productions.”
Council Chairlady of MFTPA, Gina Lei, commented, “The association has been committed to cultivating local filmmakers in Macao and aims to establish a system that bridges industry insiders, films and venture capital from Asian and Western films. Furthermore, we aim to assist young filmmakers to develop their creativity, enhance the quality of Macao films and promote potential local outstanding projects internationally which will be beneficial to the development of the film industry in Macao.”
MFTPA is thrilled to have Michael J. Werner, member of the International Advisory Board of IFFAM, this year again as program advisor, who guided the Macao film project teams to complete the training program.
Since the launch of IFFAM in 2016, the Organizing Committee has been striving to attain international status for the Film Festival and forge it into a world-renowned event for the film industry. IFFAM is also dedicated to offering a key platform that creates training and international exchange opportunities for local young filmmakers as well as cultural and creative industry professionals in Macao, bringing them and their outstanding works into the international limelight, in turn fostering diversified long-term development of the Macao film industry at different levels and on various fronts.
Themed as “A Celebration of Life & The Big Screen” this year, the 5th International Film Festival & Awards Macao is slated to take place from 3 to 8 December. Various work is undergoing strenuous preparations.
