Hong Kong Director Wong, Other Filmmakers And LVMH Representatives Take Part In Ceremony At Canton Road Maison, Hong Kong#
Last Friday, luxury and culture once again collided in Hong Kong as the Louis Vuitton Journeys Awards were handed out at Canton Road Maison. Launched last September, the Louis Vuitton Journeys Award is given to a student from among Greater China's most respected universities who creates a short film that best exemplifies a journey.
At the prize-giving ceremony, Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai -- who was also instrumental in the creation of this award -- and representatives from Louis Vuitton gave speeches and handed out awards to filmmakers from Asia and Europe. From Luxury Insider:
The competition was devised as part of Louis Vuitton’s long-term support of the arts and to highlight its place in the world of travel. It was launched on September 3, 2009 in the presence of renowned Director, Wong Kar Wai and Antoine Arnault, the Head of Communications at Louis Vuitton. The competition asked students from the world’s most prestigious film schools to present their own interpretations of a journey.
The inspiration behind the competition was Wong Kar Wai’s own two-minute film of life as a journey, Blueberry Days. Based on Louis Vuitton’s Core Values advertising campaign, it featured famous personalities such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Sean Connery and Sofia Coppola.
The Jury’s Award went to Sho Tsukikawa from the Tokyo University of Film Arts for his film 'The Time Walker'; and The Public’s Choice Award (voted for by members of the public on Louis Vuitton’s website) was scooped by James Cogels, from Lawyer in Belgium.
Meanwhile the Jury President’s Award was handed to Gilitte Leung from Hong Kong for his [sic] work 'I Want to Make a Movie', which articulates the artist’s journey as a result of entering the completion. Wong Kar Wai acknowledged: “Your journey is bold and sincere (personal and tender). Congratulations on this first film and best luck in your future career.”
Louis Vuitton's commitment to promoting luxury and the arts, especially in Hong Kong, is definitely something to watch. Last year's "Passion for Creation" exhibition brought together Louis Vuitton and the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and attracted massive public interest. We could see more of these luxury + art partnerships in the mainland this year, too, following the success of initiatives like Cartier's “Treasures” exhibit at Beijing’s Forbidden City.