Introduction

This essay introduces the contributions to Special Focus: Hong Kong Cinephilia Reimagined by providing an overview of the history of cinephilia in Hong Kong. It synthesizes recent primary research on the remarkably energetic, experimentally-oriented film culture that emerged in the 1960s and 70s, with the rise of independent publications, film societies, and amateur filmmaking. The history of Hong Kong cinephilia is, at its most striking, a history of endeavors to meaningfully disrupt hegemonic systems of production, distribution, and exhibition. The pursuit of otherwise unavailable viewing experiences encompassed several factors, including the construction of material alternatives to dominant economies of the moving image and the creation of new networks, relations, and organizational forms for the making, screening, and discussion of films.