Mandarin/Eng/Nat

Hong Kong's first ever trade fair for film and TV kicked off Wednesday featuring more than 70 exhibitors.

The Hong Kong International Film Market, "Filmart" allows international and local distributors to showcase their productions to a variety of entertainment industry heavyweights.

But with merely 19-days remaining before China resumes sovereignty on the British colony, fears of censorship may cause concern in this year's debut exhibition.

Hong Kong's International Film Market opened Wednesday in the territory.

Local celebrities, such as action star Chow Yun-fatt also attended the opening ceremony.

Hong Kong is the world's second largest movie distributor behind the US, exporting more than 200 titles each year.

It is the third largest film producer in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood, India's equivalent of the American movie hub.

For Hong Kong's film industry, uncertainty concerning freedom of expression and freedom of art are what worries film producers.

Whether these liberties will remain without interference from the Central government once China takes over, is still questionable.

Many say Hong Kong's film market will have the same freedoms after the territory reverts to Chinese sovereignty on July 1st.

The Secretary for Broadcasting and Culture guarantees the government will keep minimum intervention while providing the maximum support after handover.

SOUNDBITE (English):

"Film and Television industry will continue to be governed by the existing laws of Hong Kong. And the existing laws only limits their freedom of expression in respect of sex and violence, beyond that we do not have other criteria to say which film or TV program

may or may not be able to be shown. And that will continue to be the case after 1997, after the 1st of July. "

SUPERCAPTION: Chau Tak Hay, Hong Kong Secretary for Broadcasting, Culture and Sport

Others fear that tight government censorship will apply to the territory as it currently does in Mainland China.

Production is only allowed in official studios in China and all scripts must have the ministry's approval prior to public showing.

With talks on unification along the China and Taiwan straits, Taiwanese film makers are optimistic about Hong Kong's future.

They say the handover will actually bring the Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan closer together.

SOUNDBITE (Mandarin):

"I don't think 97 will have any effect because we do get to corporate with the Mainaldn Chinese and purchase their films, so I don't think 97 will have any effect. it may even be better for us (our industry)."

SUPER CAPTION: Wu Kon, spokesperson for the Motion Pictures Association of Taipei

Hong Kong TV giant TVB also think the handover will have a positive effect on Hong Kong.

SOUNDBITE (English):

"Well, if there is anything on the film industry, the handover will give us greater opportunities for working with China and working with many of the countries in the region. So there should be a positive effect on the handover."

SUPER CAPTION: Alex Ying, general manager of Television Broadcasts Limited

With the world focusing on the Hong Kong handover which will take place in less than 20 days, Hollywood is also cashing in on this historic event.

Hong Kong born director Wayne Wang is making a film "The Chinese Box" staring British actor Jeremy Irons and the rising Chinese star Gong Li in a love story focusing on the exciting moments surrounding this once-in-a-lifetime occasion.

Hong Kong - 11 June 1997 and file

11 June 1997:

1. Close up of drums being played

2. Close up of sign saying 'Bienvenue' ('Welcome') held by lion's mouth

3. Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fatt

4. Close up of arms of guards - pan up to Chow Yun-fatt and officials

5. Mid shot of film exhibition posters

6. Big television screen showing women dancing on stage

7. Mid shot of officials looking at display

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Chau Tak Hay, Hong Kong Secretary for Broadcasting, Culture and Sport

9. Two shots of film company signs

10. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Wu Kon, spokesperson of Motion Pictures of Taipei

11. Two shots of film poster of "Triad Girls"

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Alex Ying, general manager of Television Broadcasts Ltd.

APTV file

13. Actor Jeremy Irons acting in upcoming film "Chinese Box" - pan to camera and crew

14. Mid shot of van with open door, actress Gong Li inside

15. Camera being carried - pan to actor Jeremy Irons with Wayne Wang, director of "Chinese Box" (in baseball hat and glasses)

SHOTLIST

++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: AP TELEVISION DOES NOT HAVE RIGHTS TO THE PHOTOGRAPH AND HAS NOT INCLUDED ANY CLOSE-UPS OF IT IN THIS EDIT++

London, UK

1. Newspapers with headlines proclaiming anger against Italian magazine for showing Princess Diana's picture

2. Close-up of newspaper headline reading "Outrage at picture of dying Diana"

3. Close-up of headline reading "Dying Diana photo fury"

4. Close-up of story headline reading: "Sickening crash picture is published for the first time"

5. Tilt down Sun newspaper with headline reading: "Shame on you"

6. Pan from close-up of photo of Diana's face on newspaper to obscured photo of dying Diana

Rome

7. Wide shot of the Pantheon

8. Wide of newsstand

9. Magazines displayed for sale

10. Close-up of "Chi" people magazine with heading on front cover reading "World exclusive: the truth on Lady Diana, the last photo"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nick (Australian) Vox pop:

"And there is a man there taking a photo of that? That's a disgrace man."

12. "Chi" magazine open at Lady Diana article with heading reading:" Lady Diana, the last photo"

13. SOUNDBITE (English): Vox pop:

"I think it's horrible, awful. They should just leave her be now. She has been dead for ten years, hasn't she?"

14. Various of "Chi" magazine held open, showing pictures of the last hours of Diana before the accident

15. SOUNDBITE (English): Canadian, Vox pop:

"I actually think the press should be allowed to film whatever they want to film. It's good to have a free press and she was a public figure. I think the people that think it's disgusting, they shouldn't buy the magazine."

16. Pan across "Chi" magazine pages showing pictures of the accident and rescue operations

17. SOUNDBITE (English): Mark (UK) Vox pop:

"She's died, it's not going to help anybody at all. There are obviously inquiries going into why it happened. But you know, I'm holding the magazine, I'm not going to open it, I don't want to see the pictures. It's not going to help anyone"

18. SOUNDBITE (English): Laura (UK) Vox pop:

"They should just let her rest in peace"

FILE Paris, 31 August 1997

19. Pan of crowd on Alma bridge to wrecked Mercedes on police truck

20. Mercedes being taken away

21. Exterior of Salpetriere hospital

FILE Japan 1995

22. Diana at children's hospital

23. Various of Diana with children and doctors

FILE Pakistan 1996

24. Various of Diana visiting child patients

24. Pan across audience to Diana, sitting with former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan and his wife Jemima, watching performance

25. Children performing

26. Diana taking a child cancer victim into her arms

27. Close up of Diana holding child patient

DIANA CRASH PICTURES CAUSE GRIEF AND ANGER

The UK's Princes William and Harry on Friday revealed their deep sadness today following the publication of a photo of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales taken moments after the car crash which killed her.

The Royal princes issued a statement strongly criticising the decision to use the image in an Italian magazine.

They said they were "deeply saddened that such a low has been reached" and added that they would have been failing in their duty to her now if they did not make moves to protect her as she once did for them.

The decision to publish the photo set off anger across Britain with tabloid newspapers leading the protests against the image.

The black-and-white photo in Milan-based Chi magazine showed the princess receiving oxygen in the wreckage of the car crash that killed her on August 31, 1997.

The picture was excerpted from "Lady Diana: The Criminal Investigation," a new book by French author Jean-Michel Caradec'h.

"Shame on you," chided The Sun, a British tabloid.

The Daily Express called the image "grotesque" and swore not to reprint it.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund said the photos were in poor taste.

The feeling was echoed by tourists in Rome.

"I think it's horrible, awful. They should just leave her be now. She has been dead for ten years, hasn't she?" said one lady visiting Rome.

UK tourists Mark and Laura agreed, saying," She's died, it's not going to help anybody at all."

However a Canadian tourist felt differently saying, "It's good to have a free press and she was a public figure. I think the people that think it's disgusting, they shouldn't buy the magazine."

Entrepreneur Mohamed al Fayed, whose son Dodi also died in the crash, called the publication "vile."

The magazine's editor Umberto Brindani, defended his action, saying that the photograph was "touching" and "tender," but not offensive.

The Princess of Wales died in a car accident in Paris on 31 August 1997.

Diana, 36, her companion Dodi Fayed, 42, and their driver, Henri Paul, were killed when the car crashed into a pillar in an underpass.