HONG KONG, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland's acclaimed film "Dear You" is slated to hit all cinemas across the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on June 18, the production confirmed on Friday.

Since its Chinese mainland release on April 30, the Chaoshan (Teochew)-dialect film has struck a deep chord with audiences via its tender emotional portrayal and heartfelt core storyline, grossing over 1.5 billion yuan (about 221.36 million U.S. dollars) at the box office to date.

The film, featuring a largely unknown cast, centers on the tradition of "qiaopi," letters and remittances sent home by earlier generations of overseas Chinese in the 19th and 20th centuries, which serves as the emotional thread linking the film's central characters.

Well ahead of its official Hong Kong premiere, swathes of local residents had traveled north to catch screenings, sharing their ticket stubs and glowing reviews on social media platforms. Many viewers recounted being moved to tears multiple times throughout the runtime.

"Back in an era of slow transport and sprawling geographical divides, affection was seldom laid bare in plainspoken terms, yet every line penned in those letters brimmed with genuine longing that transcended thousands of miles of land and sea," one Hong Kong viewer commented online. ■