Judged By Academy Award-Winner Ruby Yang and Arts, Technology and Philanthropy Leaders, the HKAWL Initiative Will Channel Family Wealth into Stories of Community Empowerment

HONG KONG, 6 July 2026 – In a landmark initiative to connect family wealth with creative social impact, the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL) today unveiled the high-profile jury for the Hong Kong regional round of the acclaimed pan-Asia micro film festival, “Inspiring Asia 2026”. The panel includes Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Director of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Future Media Professor Ruby Yang, Institute of Philanthropy Chairman Lester Huang, City University of Hong Kong ArtX Hong Kong Institute Director Professor Fen Jennifer Lin, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s Kalmond Ma, and Co-Founder of global AI video generation platform PixVerse’s Jaden Xie. The formation of the jury signals HKAWL’s deep commitment to introduce a powerful catalytic platform for strategic philanthropy to the city.

Highlights from the Inspiring Asia 2025 Impact Report reveal the ‘Inspiring Asia’ festival has forged a powerful bridge across philanthropic, creative, and social sectors in Asia: the 2025 event saw an explosive 1,135% surge in submissions, with more than 1,000 audience participating in voting on the films. The festival has produced profound impact on viewers, with 79% of the surveyed audience reported a change in thinking or behaviour towards the social issue depicted in the films. For creators, 100% of interviewed filmmakers confirmed that their participation resulted in increased visibility and professional legitimacy. Most importantly, 83% of regional hosts confirmed that the festival provided opportunities to engage in new partnerships. This track record of success across Asia provides a strong foundation for the festival’s inaugural landing in Hong Kong.

“HKAWL is proud to bring this internationally acclaimed competition to Hong Kong. Storytelling is one of the four key levers we are using to scale awareness of critical social issues, and ‘Inspiring Asia’ has a proven track record of doing just that,” said Angel Chia, Executive Director of HKAWL. “We see a tremendous opportunity here. The new generation of families cares deeply about the social impact behind their wealth. The ‘Inspiring Asia’ festival, with the crucial support of partners like the Lee Hysan Foundation, assumes a strategic role to philanthropists by strengthening the conventional informal referral pathways and widening access to good projects and impact organisations with micro film as the medium of storytelling.”

This vision is shared by the Lee Hysan Foundation, which is backing the Hong Kong competition as Strategic Partner and Sponsor. Cecilia Ho, President, Lee Hysan Foundation said: “Lee Hysan Foundation’s support for the ‘Inspiring Asia’ festival stems from our long-standing belief in storytelling as a catalyst for social impact. Our journey with storytelling has included pivotal projects like Academy Award-winning director Professor Ruby Yang’s documentary, My Voice, My Life, a compelling visual diary of youth navigating hardship and building character through a transformative musical journey. We are thrilled to empower a new wave of creators through this festival, which aligns perfectly with our mission to co-create solutions that build a lasting legacy for Hong Kong.”

This convergence of philanthropy, arts, and social innovation is reflected in the jury's composition. Confirmed members include:

• Lester Huang, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, bringing unparalleled leadership in Hong Kong’s philanthropic sector.
• Professor Fen Jennifer Lin, Director of ArtX Hong Kong Institute at City University of Hong Kong, providing deep expertise in the intersection of art, culture, and technology.
• Kalmond Ma, Director for Hong Kong Social Impact and Innovation Initiatives, Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, offering a global perspective on social sector innovation.
• Jaden Xie, Co-Founder and President of PixVerse, a global AI video generation platform trusted by over 100 million users from more than 177 countries.
• Professor Ruby Yang, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Director of the School of Future Media at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), known for her impactful storytelling on social issues.

Last Call for submissions

The call for submissions for the ‘Inspiring Asia 2026’ Hong Kong competition closes today, 6 July 2026 by 11:59 PM HKT. Creators and non-profits are invited to submit works exploring this year’s theme, “Community Empowerment.”

Supported by the Asia Community Foundation and the Lee Hysan Foundation, entrants will compete for a share of the HKD 279,000 Hong Kong prize pool and the opportunity for selected winners to advance to the pan-Asia finals. For details on the upcoming shortlist announcement, screening and award ceremony, please visit https://inspiringasia.org/2026-hongkong/.

Appendix: Jury Biographies

	Lester Huang, SBS, JP  Lester Huang is the Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) and Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust. IoP is a “think-fund-do” tank for China, Asia and beyond, established through a seed grant from The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust, and dedicated to promoting philanthropic thought leadership and enhancing sector capabilities at local, regional and global levels in collaboration with fellow funders. As a prominent solicitor and a former President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, Mr Huang brings decades of leadership experience across the legal, public service, and philanthropic sectors. In his role at the IoP, he is at the forefront of shaping the future of philanthropy in Hong Kong and beyond.
	Professor Fen Jennifer Lin  Professor Fen Jennifer Lin is the Director of ArtX Hong Kong, an innovative institute at City University of Hong Kong dedicated to the intersection of art trading, cultural exchange, and transformative technology. With a rich background in both academia and international documentary filmmaking, Professor Lin is a leading voice on how new technologies are shaping the creation, valuation, and dissemination of art and culture.
	Kalmond Ma  Kalmond Ma brings over 20 years of cross-sector experience advancing nonprofit leadership, sustainability, and social innovation. As Director for Hong Kong Social Impact and Innovation Initiatives at Chicago Booth, he leads strategic efforts in social sector development and oversees programming for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation. Beyond his formal position, he serves on the boards of the BASIC Foundation and the ReThink Foundation, drawing on leadership across mission-driven organizations and enterprises to amplify collective impact.
	Jaden Xie Jaden Xie co-founded PixVerse in 2023 with a mission to make video creation accessible to everyone. Under his leadership, PixVerse has grown to over 100 million users across 177 countries and achieved unicorn status with its Series C funding round in March 2026. Its proprietary models include V6, its flagship video generation model, and R1, the world's first real-time world model. Prior to founding PixVerse, Jaden was Executive Director at Lighthouse Capital, where he focused on TMT and AI industry. He is an alumnus of Peking University.
	Professor Ruby Yang  Professor Ruby Yang is an Academy Award–winning filmmaker born in Hong Kong who has worked across the United States, Beijing, and Hong Kong for more than 35 years. Renowned for her powerful storytelling in both documentary and dramatic cinema, she received the 2007 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. In 2013, she joined The University of Hong Kong as the Hung Leung Hau Ling Distinguished Fellow in Humanities at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre (JMSC). On October 1, 2025, she became Director of the School of Future Media at The University of Hong Kong.