IC, Beijing companies to co-host comedy festival in Macau

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will co-organize in March an international comedy festival in Macau, which the organizers claim will be first of its kind for the city.

The organizers are two Beijing companies: Beijing Mahua FunAge Entertainment, Culture and Media Stock Corporation Ltd. and Bejiing Daimai Cultural Communications Company Ltd. The event is set to be held between Mar. 11 and 18.

The organizers aim to present “an international, innovative, entertaining and spectacular feast of comedy” and “through unique programs and activities, bringing a colorful and joyful atmosphere to the audience.”

During her speech, Director of Culture Deland Leong Wai Man said that in order to cooperate with the “1+4” moderate economic diversification development strategy, and promote the construction of Macau as a “city of performing arts,” the announcement of the festival is being made on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland.

Dubbed by the organizers the first such festival in Macau, the organizers pledged that there will be rich contents, covering comedy award ceremonies, comedy show screenings, carnival interactive shows and many others.

The festival’s coming to Macau and presenting a large-scale comprehensive carnival-style event with comedy as the core will enrich Macau’s live performances, develop cultural and tourism integration projects, and link Macau and the mainland, the organizers said.

A representative from the organizers recalled his childhood experiences, saying that the happiest days in the past were when he and his family got together to tell and share jokes during the Chinese New Year. In March of this year, this happy memory will finally be recreated in Macau. Another representative is sure that the festival will attract countless mainland and foreign tourists to visit Macau to watch the performances.

Mahua FunAge was established over 20 years ago. It started by producing and distributing stage plays, and quickly became a comedy brand with market appeal. Later, it worked to expand musicals, online dramas, movies, artist management and other sectors, establishing a professional, all-round diversified entertainment industry system.

The festival will be held with the support from Beijing’s representative office in Macau, several local bureaus, Sands China Ltd., Galaxy Entertainment Ltd. and MGM China Holdings Ltd.