Gov’t grants Parisian extension

The Macau government has granted Sands China Ltd an extension to complete the construction on their Parisian Macao, according to a statement by the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau made to Tribuna de Macau. The deadline has been extended to November 2016, despite the requirement for the property to be completed by April. Sands China notified authorities in May last year that they would be unlikely to meet their April deadline, and requested an extension for a later date in 2016. Sands China began construction on the USD2.7 billion-resort back in February 2013. According to information released previously, The Parisian Macao will feature an integrated resort with about 3,000 rooms and suites. It will also offer meeting spaces, restaurants, retail shops, a spa and health club, a children’s club, two observation decks and a pool deck that includes Aquaworld, a themed water park aiming to attract mostly business, leisure and family travelers.

HK Secretary Raymond Tam visited Macau

The HK Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Secretary, Raymond Tam, visited Macau last week where he met with the territory’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Leong Vai Tac. According to a government statement, both secretaries exchanged ideas on issues of common interest, such as “13th Five-Year Plan, the cooperation between the regions of the Pan-Pearl River Delta, the construction of free trade zones in Guangdong, the support policies for entrepreneurship and youth employment, among others.” Both leaders recognized the interdependence of Hong Kong and Macau, and agreed that it is essential to strengthen cooperation between the two territories in the spirit of mutual help and cooperation. The Macau tour ended with a visit to the Seac Pai Van public housing where Tam met briefly with the vice president of the Macau Housing Bureau, Kuoc Vai Han.

Filmmakers optimistic over region’s cinema

A press conference was held at the Science Center last week ahead of the Macau premiere of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” which screened on Thursday night at Galaxy Macau’s UA cinema. During the event, artists and filmmakers including Thomas Lim, Carlos Koo and Sharon Lok shared their opinions on various matters relating to film, such as why sequels do not usually outperform the original in a series. They also discussed their opinions with some artists remarking that they were optimistic about the future of Macau cinema. They commended government support for initiatives promoting the local film industry.  “Sword of Destiny” is an American-Chinese martial arts sequel to Ang Lee’s surprise international success, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which grossed USD128 million in box office sales in the U.S. The movie remains one of the highest-grossing foreign-language films in U.S. history to date.