The Academy of Film of the School of Communication welcomed over 200 new students and presented 21 awards to outstanding graduates at its Orientation cum Final Year Project Awards Ceremony held on 24 August. Officiating guests included President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Roland Chin, Provost Professor Clayton MacKenzie, Dean of the School of Communication Professor Huang Yu, and veteran film professional and musician Mr Teddy Robin.

In his welcome address, Professor Chin urged new students and graduates alike to develop a solid foundation in social, cultural and general knowledge. Drawing on examples of cutting-edge film-making technology, Professor Chin stressed that while many consider that a successful film-maker should be equipped with all the latest skills, the significance of being well-informed culturally is no less important than catching up with the fast-moving technological scene. Visionary thinking can only be achieved by well-rounded training in both the fundamentals and the techniques, and Professor Chin promised that this will be the kind of education that HKBU can provide.

Mr Teddy Robin shared his advice with students wishing to pursue a film-making career. He asked the students to understand that beyond the rosy glow of making films there existed a harsh reality, as the industry is a highly-competitive battleground. Nevertheless, he believed that, instead of being frustrated, the students should thoroughly enjoy the learning process and cherish every single moment of time when they can experiment freely with their creativity.

Professor Eva Man, Director Designate of the Academy, introduced the Academy to the enthusiastic freshmen and highlighted the events to be held in the new academic year, from overseas film festival tours and talks by industry heavyweights to a variety of film projects.

The Academy established the Final Year Project Awards for postgraduate, undergraduate and sub-degree programmes in 2014. The Awards are given annually as an incentive to encourage students to strive for excellence. The categories include the Young Film Talent Awards, Young Media Artist Awards, Young Writer Awards, Young Performer Awards, Outstanding Thesis Award and MFA Thesis Project Awards.