Yuet-fung Ho appointed as director of Asian Film Awards

Ho will oversee the AFAs’ strategic growth as well as promote the Hong Kong-based event on an international level.

After starting her career as a senior scriptwriter at Hong Kong broadcaster TVB, Ho moved to the US where she worked for CBS, rising to the position of managing director of CBS Broadcast International Asia Inc. She launched CBS’s Asia operation in Hong Kong in 1997 and managed CBS programming in Asia until the mid 2000s.

More recently, she served as vice president, International Business Development, at New York City Economic Development Corporation for Mayor Bloomberg’s administration, with a wide range of responsibilities including financial services, education and government communications.

“With her valuable background and experience in production, programming and marketing, Ms Ho will play a leading role in the development of AFA and its recognition in the region as one of Asia’s representative events,” said HKIFFS executive director Roger Garcia.

Ho added: “AFA has helped position Hong Kong as the hub of the Asian film industry. Compared to other long-standing international film awards, AFA is still young and has the potential for further development.

“The film industries and audiences of Asia are growing fast. I hope that by using Hong Kong’s natural advantages of strategic geographical location and thriving business center, the AFA can become a bridge of communications between different Asian countries, and play an important role in promoting the development of the Asian film industry.”

Launched in 2007, the AFAs are a pan-Asian awards ceremony presided over by a different jury of world cinema professionals and filmmakers each year. High-profile guests who have attended in previous years include Oliver Stone, William Hurt, Luc Besson, John Woo, Jet Li and Korea’s Bong Joon-ho.

The HKIFFS, which organises the event, also organises the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).