A total of 50 films have been required to be edited, and 13 titles have not been approved for screening on national security grounds since Hong Kong amended the Film Censorship Ordinance in 2021, according to authorities.
The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA) told HKFP on Monday the number of films that had to change their content or were barred from being screened between November 2021 and July 2025. It did not respond to a request for a list of the films affected.
“The Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration does not comment on the content of individual films, submission applications, or decisions,” an email reply from the office read.
Local newspaper Ming Pao broke the story on Monday that, out of over 39,000 films submitted to OFNAA for review since 2021, 104 were allowed to be screened after amending their content, while 15 were not greenlit to be screened in the city.
Of the 15, 13 titles were banned due to national security concerns.
The number of films that were required to be edited or could not be screened accounted for 0.16 per cent of the 39,000-odd films OFNAA scrutinised.
No films had been barred from screening in the five years before the amended film censorship law was enacted, while 50 films had to be edited in order to be screened during the same period.
Ming Pao also reported that it had made an Access to Information request after OFNAA refused to provide a list of the films affected.
The request was turned down by the Office of the Communications Authority, which told the newspaper that disclosing such information would harm or prejudice the “maintenance of public order and public safety,” the “protection of property,” and the “efficient operation of a department.”
The Film Censorship Ordinance was amended in late October 2021 to include national security clauses, more than a year after the Beijing-imposed national security law came into effect.
All films must now be approved by OFNAA before they are screened publicly in Hong Kong. Any that are deemed contrary to national security can be barred from screening, or the authority can request changes such as the removal of certain scenes.
The law also gave the city’s chief secretary, a member of the Committee on National Security, sweeping powers to instruct the Film Censorship Authority to revoke approvals granted – at any time – if they believe the presentation of a film will harm national security.
See also: Iron curtain falls on Hong Kong cinema as censors demand cuts
An inspector authorised by the censorship agency may also enter and search premises without a warrant when trying to halt an unauthorised film screening or publication, if it is “not reasonably practicable” to obtain a warrant.
Heavier penalties were imposed on those who show films that are not exempted or approved by the authorities, as the offence is punishable by up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of HK$1 million.
Local film censors may ask for up to 28 days to review films that may involve national security considerations. Filmmakers may not challenge the censorship body’s decision, as the new legislation bars the Board of Review from reconsidering decisions made on national security grounds.
Ming Pao reported that local director Kiwi Chow, known for directing a 2019 protest documentary, has been waiting for more than two months since he sent his new film to OFNAA for review in early August.
He told the newspaper that the film is about the trend of student suicide and does not touch on national security. The long wait has put a pause on his other work, such as contacting a distributor or cinemas, he added.
In May last year, two special screenings of a film directed by Chow were axed by MCL Cinemas without giving any reason. The film, Beyond The Dream, was first shown publicly in 2020.
In June 2023, three films shown at the Fresh Wave International Film Festival faced orders from OFNAA to delete several sections. The filmmakers decided to replace the deleted parts with black images and muted sound.
Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
