49th Hong Kong International Film Festival

The theme of the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival is "Dialogue - Conversation of Film".^[1] The festival's poster, designed by local company Trilingua Design, features sound tracks as the background, accompanied by classic quotes from international films.^[1] Angela Yuen was named the new ambassador of the Hong Kong International Film Festival in late January 2025 starting from this edition, succeeding Karena Lam.^[1][2] Louis Koo was announced as the Filmmaker in Focus for the festival on 7 February 2025.^[3] Albert Lee, the executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, explained that Koo, who served as the HKIFF ambassador for five years starting in 2014, was chosen for both his acting career and filmmaking efforts through his production companies, which embody the essence of Hong Kong cinema to both the industry and the public.^[3][4] A commemorative book on Koo was published in collaboration with Moleskine.^[4]

Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra and Finnish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen were announced as features in the Masterclass section later that month, with both presenting at the festival in person and marks Kuosmanen's first visit to Hong Kong.^[5][6] French filmmaker Leos Carax and Japanese actress Sakura Ando were also announced as features in the Masterclass and Focus section respectively in March.^[7][8] A full lineup was announced on 17 March 2025.^[9] Other notable guests at the festival included Chinese filmmakers Wang Bing, Vivian Qu, Japanese filmmaker Shinobu Yaguchi, and Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng.^[10]

The film festival opened on 10 April 2024 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with the Japanese crime film The Brightest Sun by Tetsuya Nakashima and Malaysian-Hong Kong drama Pavane for an Infant by Chong Keat Aun.^[11][12] This edition was held later than usual, as the HKIFF typically starts in March, with Albert Lee cited the postponement of Art Basel Hong Kong, which also uses the Hong Kong Cultural Centre as its main venue, as the reason for the delay.^[13] Events took place at various venues, including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong City Hall, M+, and iSQUARE.^[14] A total of 195 films from 69 countries were screened, featuring six world premieres, two international premieres, and fifty-two Asian premieres.^[15] Ticket prices ranged from HKD$55 to $100.^[16] It was part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, featuring events such as the 18th Asian Film Awards and the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards taking place concurrently.^[17]

The multinational historical drama To Kill a Mongolian Horse by Jiang Xiaoxuan won the Firebird Award for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language), while the Japanese-Taiwanese-American psychological thriller Black Ox by Tsuta Tetsuichiro won the Firebird Award for the Young Cinema Competition (World).^[18] The multinational documentary Yalla Parkour by Areeb Zuaiter received the Firebird Award for Documentary Competition, and the Chinese film The Botanist by Jing Yi won the FIPRESCI Prize.^[18] The festival closed with the Norwegian drama Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud on 21 April.^[19]

The jury of the Firebird Awards comprises:^[20][18]

Angela Yuen, new HKIFF ambassador

Louis Koo, Filmmaker in Focus

• Huang Ji, Chinese filmmaker
• Chong Keat Aun, Malaysian filmmaker
• Geng Jun, Chinese filmmaker

• Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish filmmaker
• Ray Yeung, Hong Kong filmmaker
• Derek Lam, Hong Kong film critic

• Huang Hsin-yao, Taiwanese documentary filmmaker
• Otsuka Ryuji, Japanese documentary filmmaker
• Elena Pollacchi, former curator of the Venice International Film Festival