The Hong Kong Lesbian &amp; Gay Film Festival (HKLGFF; ) is an annual international film festival focused on LGBTQIA+ cinema, held each September in Hong Kong. Founded in 1989 by Edward Lam (), a Hong Kong film director and gay activist, it is considered to be the oldest LGBT film festival in Asia.
Background.
The Hong Kong Lesbian &amp; Gay Film Festival seeks to present rare contemporary and historical films on a wide range of LGBT topics from Hong Kong and across the world. Its activities are directed by the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Society, a non-profit organisation set up by Wouter Barendrecht and Raymond Yeung () in 2001, which states that it "seeks to promote equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination against sexual minority groups in Hong Kong through cinematic works of art".
The Festival is screened annually each September and is known as the "Hong Kong Tongzhi Film Festival" in Chinese. The word "tongzhi" (), which translates into English as 'comrade' or 'same will', was chosen by the festival's founder Edward Lam and is a popular term for members of LGBT communities used in the Chinese-speaking world.
History.
Hong Kong Lesbian &amp; Gay Film Festival was founded by Edward Lam () in 1989. It was sponsored by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and screened there exclusively until 1999. However, due to low ticket sales and funding issues following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the festival was suspended, with Lam stepping away from his role as festival director.
In 2000, Wouter Barendrecht and Ray Yeung () renewed the film festival, establishing the Hong Kong Lesbian &amp; Gay Film Festival Society as a non-profit organization the following year. Today, the festival operates independently from the Hong Kong Arts Centre and has hosted its screenings at various commercial cinemas across the city since 2003.
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