MUMBAI: Hong Kong born Roger Garcia is the new executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFC).

Garcia, a former director of the festival, film producer, film critic and writer, will manage the society‘s three flagship events: the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum and the Asian Film Awards.

Garcia‘s work with the Hong Kong International Film Festival started in the late 1970s soon after its inception, where he developed the programming of contemporary and classic Hong Kong cinema and Asian cinema and was involved in introducing the festival‘s bi-lingual publications to present Hong Kong cinema to the world.

Apart from his contribution to promoting arts and culture in Hong Kong, he was also the first Director of the Filmmakers‘ Development Lab for the Korean Film Council from 2005-2008.

He also held positions under the Cultural Services Division, Recreation and Culture Department and Home Affairs Department of the Hong Kong Government to advance and develop the arts and cultural sector in Hong Kong, as well as to promote overseas investments in the region as regional director, North America at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York.

As a film producer, Garcia was behind Columbia Tristar‘s Mark Wahlberg vehicle The Big Hit and Filipino director Raymond Red‘s Himpapawid.