ASEAN Film Festival 2026 opens
The ASEAN Film Festival (AFF) 2026, organised by the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation and co-presented by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, held its opening ceremony today (August 20). This year's AFF will present free screenings of over 30 films in Hong Kong, featuring works from 11 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, and other countries/regions. Among the films to be screened, CCIDA is sponsoring screenings of two Hong Kong productions funded by the Film Development Fund (FDF), namely "Last Song For You" and "Band Four", as well as a post-screening sharing session and a networking reception to promote cultural exchanges and collaboration of the film and creative sectors between Hong Kong and ASEAN.
Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law said that the AFF 2026 is about far more than screening of films, it is fundamentally about connection and collaboration between ASEAN and Hong Kong, which resonates profoundly with Hong Kong's strategic positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
Miss Law also reiterated the commitment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to backing local filmmakers with targeted initiatives, and, through the FDF, supports creative local productions and international co-productions, nurtures young talents and showcases Hong Kong cinema on the global stage.
With a view to enhancing understanding of the creative process behind film productions, the Festival will also hold post-screening sharing sessions after selected screenings, at which the directors and filmmakers concerned will interact with the audiences.
The AFF was first launched by the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation in 2023 with the aim of promoting understanding and appreciation of regional cultures through films. The series of AFF 2026 events will run until September 27. For more information on the AFF 2026, please visit www.aseanfilmfest.org.
ASEAN Film Festival 2026 opens Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Pig farm at Sheung Che in Pat Heung, Yuen Long convicted of illegal livestock waste discharge
The owner of a pig farm in Sheung Che at Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was convicted of violating the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations by discharging improperly treated livestock waste into nearby watercourse, and was fined $8,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts on August 18.
During a previous surprise inspection in Yuen Long, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) staff applied smart technology to assist in monitoring and gathering evidence, including conducting aerial surveillance of the pig farm concerned using a drone, and spotted that a large amount of brownish wastewater with foam carrying odour of pig manure was being discharged into a nearby watercourse from a pipe of the pig farm concerned, causing serious pollution to the downstream water quality of Kam Tin River. The EPD staff immediately collected a wastewater sample for analysis, and the result indicated an exceedance of the legal discharge standard. The EPD subsequently instigated a prosecution against the pig farm owner involved in the case, in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations, and notified the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the case for follow-up action.
An EPD spokesman said that the department is highly concerned about illegal wastewater discharge from livestock farms along Kam Tin River. Livestock waste without proper treatment contains high concentration of pollutants. Its discharge into rivers not only causes serious water pollution, but also odour nuisance. According to the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations, liquid livestock waste generated by livestock farms must be properly treated to meet the statutory requirements before discharge. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and a fine of $5,000 for each day on which the offence continues. Operators and staff of livestock farms must strictly comply with the law, properly operate and maintain wastewater treatment facilities for livestock waste, and must not, for the sake of convenience, discharge untreated livestock waste into nearby rivers or water bodies. Any contravention will be subject to prosecution.
The EPD spokesman reiterated that the department will continue to combat any illegal wastewater discharge activity by surprise inspections, smart technology application and inter-departmental collaboration to safeguard environmental health and river water quality.
Pig farm at Sheung Che in Pat Heung, Yuen Long convicted of illegal livestock waste discharge Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
