27 Jul – The 44th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), which was originally delayed from March to August this year due to the pandemic, has now been cancelled. As reported on Mingpao, the news was announced by the organiser, saying that the event, which was scheduled for 18 to 31 August, will no longer be held while the 18th Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum will take place online from 26 to 28 August. The news came two weeks following the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong, a month after the city recorded a lower number of cases. Aaron Kwok, who is the ambassador of the HKIFF, also posted his statement on social media about the cancellation, which read, "The film festival team and I will continue to spread our passion for promoting good films, and we will make preparations for next year's edition in advance, and present more outstanding international film projects to movie-loving audiences." "I really hope that the epidemic will be brought under control soon and that the patients will recover as soon as possible. I hope that everyone can regain their smiles, energy and morale, and they can return to a positive and energetic life," he added. (Photo source: Aaron Kwok's Facebook)