News

Riding on the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival, the Organizing Committee of the International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao hosted a cocktail reception in Shanghai to promote the event to film industry professionals and media from different places across the globe, taking the opportunity to attract more international exhibitors and introduce world-class exchange opportunities to IFFAM. The 1st International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao (IFFAM) will be held from 8 to 13 December 2016. To publicize this significant film-industry gathering beyond Macao, the Organizing Committee hosted an IFFAM cocktail reception at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong this afternoon (13 June) and invited nearly 200 participants on behalf of film companies and media agencies at home and abroad. During the reception, Festival Director Marco Müller stated that Macao holds a potential to become a new hub for exchanges in the film industry. Other guests include Head of Destination Marketing Department of MGTO, Betty Fok, Acting Head of Tourism Product and Events Department of MGTO, Jennifer Si Tou, Secretary General of the IFFAM Organizing Committee, Alice Augusto, Head of Festival Management Lorna Tee, Festival Ambassdor Choi Dong-hoon, International Advisors of IFFAM, Huang Jianxin and Oh Jung-wan, Honorary Advisor of IFFAM, Eric Tsang, Consultant of IFFAM, Shan Dongbing, as well as acclaimed film director Ning Hao among others. Recognized by International Federation of Film Producers Associations as an international film festival under category A, the Shanghai International Film Festival was founded in 1993 with the aim to foster Chinese film industry development and interchanges among members of Chinese and overseas film industry. The IFFAM Organizing Committee has started promoting the event earlier including participation at the Macao Pavilion of the 20th Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) with members of the local film and television industry in March and hosting a media reception for the event, marking its presence at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in May with a booth set up in “Marché du Film” and inviting different international film festival coordinators and film distributors for meetings. Later this year, the IFFAM Organizing Committee is going to participate in the Busan International Film Festival not only to learn from others’ experience and gain more publicity but also to prosper the cultural industry and promote cultural tourism, for beneficial results that will fuel the sustainable development of Macao’s tourism industry in the long run.
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Yang Shanshan, a PhD student of linguistics from the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Macau (UM), recently won the championship as leader of a team from Hong Kong and Macao in the group category of consecutive interpreting at the national final of the Fifth All China Interpreting Contest. She also received an Excellence Award and was voted the ‘Favourite Interpreter’. Another student from the department, namely Zhang Xiaoping, who is a master’s student of translation studies, won a second prize in the simultaneous interpreting invitational tournament of the competition. Their instructor Dr Victoria Lei received a Distinguished Teacher Award. Organised by the Translators Association of China, the All China Interpreting Contest is considered the most prestigious, influential, and industry-known interpreting competition in China. This year, a total of 1,814 contestants from 439 universities in China participated in the competition. The qualifying rounds started in December last year to select outstanding interpreters in eight regions of China. The national final was held at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. In the face of strong opponents from leading universities who have made it to the national final in Beijing through preliminaries, provincial contests, and regional contests, Zhang Xiaoping demonstrated an excellent command of both English and Chinese, outstanding skills in simultaneous interpreting, and a strong mind in the competition and won a second prize in the simultaneous interpreting invitational tournament. In the group category of consecutive interpreting, Yang Shanshan received the highest score in the ‘sodoku’ interpreting round. With solid interpreting and leadership skills and adaptability, she won the championship together with the two other contestants in her team, one from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the other from the Macao Polytechnic Institute. Anita Chao Kit I, a master’s student of translation studies from the Department of English, joined the UM team as an observer. The UM students’ trip to Beijing was sponsored by the Macao Foundation.
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In celebration with the 11th China Cultural Heritage Day this year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has organised a series of activities at Macao’s world heritage sites, museums and libraries to encourage residents and tourists to visit the Historic Centre of Macao. Admission to several heritage sites is free, thereby increasing the population’s knowledge of cultural heritage. The activities were enthusiastically received by participants, which resonated with the theme of this year’s China Cultural Heritage Day: “Let Cultural Heritage be a part of modern life”. In order to further raise the public’s awareness of cultural heritage conservation, the Guia Lighthouse and the Macao Museum were specially open to the public on 11 and 12 June, attracting a large number of residents and visitors to visit and learn more about Macao’s World Cultural Heritage. An array of activities were also hosted in several cultural sites, such as the “Rubbing Workshop” by the Macao Public Library and the “Lotus at Jao Tsung-I Academy - Colouring Activity” by the Jao Tsung-I Academy, which were well received by the public as the participants were able to experience the traditional craft and felt the value of traditional culture. A thematic talk entitled “From Pleasing Deities & Audience to Self-Entertainment: Urbanisation of Macao’s Cantonese Opera”, was held at the Macao Museum to discuss the continuous evolution of Macao’s Cantonese Operas in line with urban development. The talk attracted a number of Cantonese Opera enthusiasts to discuss the transmission of intangible cultural heritage. In addition, a variety of activities for the China Cultural Heritage Day have been launched successively. The Macao Archives has organised the exhibition “Memories of Moments - Macao and Lusophone African and Asian Regions in Photograph Postcards”, featuring a selection of over 260 photograph postcards from the collection of the Archives. The Macao Public Library has hosted the thematic exhibition “Exhibition of Pedro Nolasco da Silva’s Book Collection”, to be held until 18 June, at the IACM Building Library. The Macao Chinese Orchestra will also present the concert “Chinese Rhapsody - Works by Peng Xiuwen” on 18 June, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. Tickets are available at the Macau Ticketing Network. Each year, the IC hosts a series of activities for the general public to mark China Cultural Heritage Day, in order to increase the population’s knowledge of cultural heritage and society’s awareness of cultural heritage conservation. Designated on the second Saturday of June, the annual China Cultural Heritage Day aims to create a better appreciation of safeguarding cultural heritage and increase the public’s awareness on the significance of its conservation.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 191 MICE events were held in the first quarter of 2016, down by 20 year-on-year (consisting of 14 meetings & conferences and 6 exhibitions). Total number of participants and attendees decreased by 50.4% to 124,960. According to the information, 4 of the exhibitions held in the first quarter of 2015 were scheduled to be held in the second quarter of this year, resulting in a significant decline in the number of MICE participants and attendees in the first quarter of 2016. There were 187 meetings and conferences held in the first quarter, down by 7.0% year-on-year; number of participants dropped by 28.7% to 15,457. The average duration of the meetings and conferences was 2.0 days and total floor area used was 74,876 m2. Concurrently, 4 exhibitions were held, down by 6 year-on-year; number of attendees declined by 52.4% to 109,503. The average duration of the exhibitions was 2.8 days and total floor area used was 10,130 m2. The 4 exhibitions held in the first quarter were organized by non-government organizations, of which 2 exhibitions were held for the first time in Macao and 2 were repeated exhibitions. In accordance with information collected from the organizers of the 4 exhibitions, receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 5.44 million, coming primarily from rental of exhibition booths (81.2%), and financial support from government or other organizations accounted for 17.2%. Expenditure of the exhibitions totalled MOP 6.17 million, which was mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (28.4%), publicity & public relations (22.3%) and rental for venue (20.5%). The exhibitions attracted 267 exhibitors, coming primarily from Hong Kong (77.5%); professional visitors totalled 420, of which 52.4% were from Macao. Information from 121 interviewed exhibitors in the first quarter indicated that 98.4% of their receipts came from sales of products, while rental paid for exhibition booth accounted for 70.5% of their expenditure. Regarding comments about the MICE venue and services, 76.8% of the interviewed exhibitors were satisfied with the venue management, up by 1.0 percentage point quarter-to-quarter. As regards planning and organization of the exhibition, the proportion of interviewed exhibitors who were satisfied with the arrangements of the exhibition increased by 2.2 percentage points quarter-to-quarter to 64.5%; meanwhile, 35.8% of the exhibitors were satisfied with the promotion of the exhibition, down by 7.6 percentage points, while 28.3% considered that improvement was needed, up by 11.1 percentage points. Furthermore, the proportion of interviewed exhibitors who were satisfied with the work efficiency & attitude of the venue staff decreased by 9.7 percentage points quarter-to-quarter to 68.8%.
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The 2016 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair (hereinafter referred to as “the Fair”), will be held in August, with the aim of providing an exchange platform for film producers and investors from the three regions, facilitating pairing services, investment opportunities and the development of the film projects. The Fair is now calling for the submission of Macao film projects and all interested parties from the film industry are welcome to submit their works. The call for submissions is open from 14 June 2016 to 28 June 2016. Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the Guangdong Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and the Hong Kong Film Development Council, the Fair has been held in Macao since 2014, with the aim of providing a high quality and convenient communication platform for film producers and investors from the three regions, establishing investment opportunities and pairing services for the film industry, in order to cultivate film professionals and promote the development of the film industry in the three regions. Applicants of selected film projects will meet up with investors from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao at the Fair. Every year the Fair invites 30 producers and over 60 investors and guests to participate. In 2015, through successful pairing, a Letter of Intent was signed between the Guangdong producer of San Chong Mei Ying and the Guangdong Zhujiang Film Group Co., Ltd. Applicants of Macao film projects to the 2016 Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Film Production Investment and Trade Fair must be 18 years old or above and must hold a valid Macao S.A.R. Resident Identity Card. Each applicant may submit one unfinished film only; he/she must be the director of the film and must have directed one feature film with a running time of over 20 minutes, which must have been screened to the public. The adjudicating panel, composed by a group of professionals from the film industry invited by IC, will select a maximum of ten film projects for the Fair based on four criteria: creativity of the story, experience and executive capability of the applicant, experience and executive capability of the executive producer and production company, and budget rationality. Application forms can be downloaded from the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo) and from the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries website (www.macaucci.com). Applicants should submit the completed application form and all required documents to the Department for Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, located at No. 567, Av. da Praia Grande, Edif. BNU, 12th floor A-D, Macao, before 28 June 2016. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Chong, staff member of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040, during office hours.
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The Government will begin on 4 July to send out cheques to Macao residents under the city’s Wealth Partaking Scheme 2016, according to a by-law published today in the Macao SAR Gazette. Under the scheme, those qualified receive either 9,000 patacas if they are a permanent resident, or 5,400 patacas if they are a non-permanent resident. Beneficiaries such as senior citizens, teaching staff, current and retired civil servants, college students receiving student aid, and those who receive other forms of subsidy from the Government, will have the cash handout deposited in their respective bank accounts. Other recipients will receive their payments in the mail on various dates over the next 10 weeks and up until 16 September. Holders of a Macao Special Administrative Region Resident Identity Card that is valid up to 31 December 2015 – or is valid up to that date and is renewable subsequently – are entitled to receive the cash payment. Macao ID holders currently living abroad are also entitled to the cash handout – provided they have relevant documentary proof of identity. The Government has operated the Wealth Partaking Scheme for nine consecutive years, with the aim of sharing the fruits of Macao’s economic development with the people of Macao.
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Organised by the Macao Orchestra under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and supported by Sands China Ltd., the concert Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY was held on 11 June at The Venetian Theatre. It drew a full house and was enthusiastically received by music aficionados. The Macao Orchestra also invited underprivileged groups to enjoy the performance, showing its solidarity close by the community. The Macao Orchestra performed for the first time under the baton of Grammy award winner conductor Arnie Roth the concert Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, featuring music by Japanese video game music composer Nobuo Uematsu. The familiar music and spectacular images of the game, were synchronously projected on screen, offering a visual and aural experience well-received by the audience. A concert-goer acclaimed the refreshing and gorgeous selection of songs, stage effects and production of the programme, and hoped that similar concerts would be staged in future. In conjunction with the concept of boundless music, the Orchestra and Sands China jointly invited a number of local charitable associations and underprivileged groups to enjoy the performance, including the Concordia School for Special Education, the Escola Caritas de Macau, the Fuhong Society of Macau, the Richmond Fellowship of Macau and the ECF Fellowship Orphanage, allowing people from various backgrounds to experience a fantastic world-class art performance and intensifying the integration of handicapped people in the community through the power of music. This is the first time that Macao Orchestra introduced a large-scale symphonic concert which was very well received. The Orchestra anticipates the launch of new forms of performances in the future, enriching the art of music and bringing new musical experiences to both residents and tourists. The Macao Orchestra will present its 2015-16 Concert Season closing concert entitled Così Fan Tutte, an opera buffa of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in concert version. Tickets are now on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network. For more details and programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/om or call OM through tel. no. 2853 0782, during office hours.
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) and SEMAC Security Company jointly organize a crisis management course on aviation security commencing today (13 June 2016) to teach personnel in the security forces about crisis management procedures and relevant knowledge and skills. The course is taught by a SEMAC instructor who has worked in aviation security for many years and possesses enriching teaching experience in lecturing the relevant field. The course is convened at the training centre of SEMAC which is located at Macau International Airport, from 13 to 17 June 2016, targeting at the middle to senior level management personnel who are responsible for airport emergencies and aviation security tasks. The course syllabus includes regulations and requirements in crisis management, concept of crisis management, key components in a crisis management plan, the handling of a crisis when it arises and so on. A total of 20 participants are enrolled in the course, who represent the Unitary Police Force, the Macao Customs Service, the Public Security Forces, the Judiciary Police and the Fire Services. Particpants who have completed and passed the assessment will be awarded with the course certificate. The course instructor is the Senior Director of SEMAC, Mr. William Yeung. Before working in Macao, he had worked in the Police Force of California, USA, for over 18 years; he had then moved to Hong Kong to work in the Aviation Security Company of Hong Kong majoring in aviation security operations and training for over 10 years. William is a certified instructor of both International Civil Aviation Organization and International Air Transport Association. In addition, he is a certified instructor in emergency coordination, firearms and chemical agent on an international level. AACM organizes different types of courses on a regular basis to provide necessary training to the industry partners and the organizations involved in aviation safety and security so that the participants can enhance their understanding of the regulations and international standards, with the objective that the participants can increase their capacity and skills in handling emergencies.
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The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the chamber music concert “Serenade Romance” at Dom Pedro V Theatre on Friday, 17 June, at 8pm. The concert features two serenades, offering the audience an evening of refined romantic music. Tickets are on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network. When we think of a serenade, we usually think of a love song performed for a lonely lover in a silent night. Great composers like Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky have all composed their own delightful and expressive serenades. The programme of this concert “Serenade Romance” features Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 for Winds in C Minor, characterised by a distinct and refined style, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, one of the composer’s most famous pieces. Tickets for OM’s concert “Serenade Romance” are priced at MOP120 and MOP100 and there are various discount packages available. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. For details of the programme, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) hosted on 2 June a 1-day workshop on tourism planning and development that was aimed at representatives of tourism-related government bodies from Portuguese-speaking countries. It was the first time IFT hosted a training workshop tailor-made for representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries. The workshop was part of the ongoing work by IFT to support the Macao SAR Government’s efforts to promote the city as a cooperation service platform between The People’s Republic of China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The programme was headed by IFT Visiting Professor Dr. John Ap. Before becoming an academic, he was a town planner specialising in recreation and tourism planning. He has also served as a consultant for several organisations, including the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). The workshop was divided into 2 sessions. In the morning part, participants discussed the guiding principles of tourism planning; different approaches to tourism development; and related operational and technical requirements. During the afternoon, the group and Dr. Ap conducted a study tour to several tourism attractions in Macao to discuss the respective tourism planning strategies relevant to those attractions. “This was a very valuable workshop and will help us improve our tourism planning,” stated participant Mr. Amostra Alfandiga, a representative from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Mozambique. The 10-strong group was in Macao at the invitation of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) for a 2-week training opportunity. Earlier on October 12, 2015, Macao SAR Government and United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Macao. The objective was to enhance cooperation between the two parties in improving the quality of human capital and increasing the competitiveness of tourism destinations (particularly in the Asia Pacific Region) in order to achieve sustainable tourism development. The Global Centre for Tourism Education and Training, soon to be set up by the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao is tasked with the responsibility to organise training and education programmes, and other projects in collaboration with UNWTO, to achieve the objectives set out in the Memorandum. In the future, the Centre will additionally provide training courses targeted to representatives of Portuguese-speaking countries, with the aim of enhancing exchanges and mutual learning between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries in the field of tourism. Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
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