"Development of Audio Description Services for Hong Kong Films Project" Closing Ceremony cum "A Simple Life" Movie Show with Audio Description

The "Development of Audio Description Services for Hong Kong Films Project" Closing Ceremony cum "A Simple Life" Movie Show with Audio Description was held jointly by the Hong Kong Society for the Blind and Create Hong Kong of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, at Taikoo Plaza UA Cinema on 27 March 2012. Mr Gregory So, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Bureau attended as Chief Officiating Guest. Mr So also made an attempt to provide audio description of the movie poster on site which was well-received by the audience.

Supported by the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the one-year "Development of Audio Description Services for Hong Kong Films Project" started since May 2011. The aim of the project was to nurture a pool of professional narrators for support of the development of audio description services in Hong Kong.

A wide variety of training programmes had been rendered to a group of people who were interested in audio description. The first training workshop was held between July and August, 2011. Audio description experts from the USA and Taiwan, provided training to 131 trainees. Among them, 73 came from movie, television, and other show industries. Finally, 71 trainees completed the 15-hour training and became qualified audio description professionals.

Started from September, 2011, a total of 15 movie shows with audio description for trainees’ practical training were organized. The popular award-winning film “A Simple Life” had been chosen as the last two movie shows with audio description. Over 400 visually impaired persons and their family members joined the two shows in late March, and they enjoyed the show with audio description at the iSqaure in Tsim Sha Tsui and the UA Cinema at Taikoo Plaza.