The production of 3-D films is highlighted as a major theme by talents across Asia in this year's Hong Kong Entertainment Expo, a signature event for the Asian entertainment business that kicked off on Monday.

Hong Kong Entertainment Expo 2010, organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council will run from March 22 to April 18.

Talents in creative industries from Asia and across the world gathered in Hong Kong to join the region's leading entertainment event that covers film, television, music and highlights digital entertainment.

At the opening ceremony Chief Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administration government Henry Tang said that Hong Kong identified creative and cultural industries as one of the key economic areas with a strong potential to grow in the city.

He said the production of 3-D films is set as a major theme in the Expo quite timely, after both the whole industry and the audience have witnessed the coming of the age of 3-D movies.

World-class creative industry leaders and Asian talents will also gather in the city to share their expertise, experience and insights on the upcoming trends in the global digital entertainment/media market.

The 7th Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF), organized by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, will be held on March 23 with the theme "Seeing 2020: The Next Wave of Digital Creativity", as an effort to link up Hong Kong's digital creativity with the global digital content industry.

This year's forum will explore the factors and forces that will influence the shape and future of digital content and media entertainment over the next 10 years, and what entrepreneurs and businesses in the creative industries can do to sustain their success and business growth through the transforming waves of digital media.

Five-time Oscar award winner Richard Taylor, the CEO of Weta Workshop Ltd and co-owner of the Weta companies, who contributed to James Cameron's box-office blockbuster "Avatar" in visual effects, costumes, props and weapons, will share his outlook on the future of digital entertainment and media.

A series of programs, seminars and workshops on 3-D films will also be held at FILMART this year.

The multimedia extravaganza will bring together nine feature events, including theHong Kong International Film and TV Market ( FILMART), Hong Kong International Film Festival(HKIFF), Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony, Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF), Hong Kong Music Fair (HKMF), IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award, and the Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards.

More than 500 exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions are taking part in this year's FILMART during March 22 to 25, which will feature over 250 film screenings and 60 seminars and networking sessions.

The HKIFF, running from March 21 to April 6, will screen over 200 movies from 50 countries and regions. The film festival last year attracted more than 580,000 people from all over the world.

Local film industry is doing well, with 52 awards in film festivals and competitions around the world last year, including the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival by the Hong Kong-produced film 'Echoes of the Rainbow', Tang said.

Of the top 10 Chinese language box office hits in the Chinese mainland last year, seven were Hong Kong-Chinese Mainland co-productions.