For the 2025 edition, the highly regarded movie project market in Hong Kong, known as the Asia Film Financing Forum, has revealed the list of 25 films it will showcase. These films are in various stages of development by some of Asia’s most talented filmmakers and producers, such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Aditya Vikram Sengupta, Nai An, Stanley Kwan, and Yeh Ju-Feng.
From the 17th to the 19th of March, I’ll be heading to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for a three-day extravaganza. This event is the main attraction of the extended Industry Project Market within the Hong Kong International Film Festival. It’s happening concurrently with the 29th Hong Kong Filmart.
Jacob Wong, the Industry Director of HKIFF, highlighted that those selected are exceptional due to their rich cultural variety. They offer extraordinary narrative styles across various genres, such as action, science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and horror. He mentioned that the organization received 276 project submissions during development from 45 different countries and territories, which include Hong Kong, Thailand, Turkey, Japan, Kazakhstan, and South Korea.
This year, we have nine films directed by women, along with numerous partnerships between filmmakers hailing from Asia, Europe, and North America. These collaborations highlight Hong Kong’s role as a pivotal point in the international film industry.
Thrilling news! Out of the projects we’ve chosen, 13 of them have already landed some funding, with budgets varying from a substantial $200,000 to an impressive $5 million!
Following our organization’s goal of nurturing fresh Asian talent, ten of the projects for this year come from first-time directors.
Notable features encompass:
1. Hu Wei’s debut film, “49 Days,” a France-China collaboration produced by Sylvie Pialat and Nai An. This movie chronicles the journey of a divorced Chinese couple who reunite in Paris to organize their son’s funeral and face their past.
2. Aditya Vikram Sengupta, from India, is involved in “Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment,” a new project by director Niladri Mukherjee. This film explores India’s majority rule issues through the perspective of a single mother who becomes the public enemy of her housing estate after reporting a malfunctioning elevator.
3. Renowned Japanese auteur, Kore-eda Hirokazu, has backed newcomer Yamaura Miyoh and his film “Yellow.” This production delves into the life of a character who is tormented by self-punishment following a fatal car accident.
Most of this year’s projects revolve around unique narratives, with only two stories being adaptations. The adaptation titled “2181 Overture” by Wang Kunlin is derived from a short-listed novelette for the Hugo Award written by Chinese sci-fi author Gu Shi. This film follows a scientist who, after awakening from cryogenic sleep, navigates a new world and searches for her missing daughter using a book she left behind. Additionally, Edmund Yeo, a previous winner of the Tokyo International Film Festival’s best director award, will direct “The Age of Goodbyes“, an adaptation based on the popular novel by Malaysian author Li Zi Shu.
Two productions helmed by local Hong Kong directors are included as well. In the chilling horror-suspense-thriller titled “Something in the Way“, a detective battling prosopagnosia (face blindness) struggles to avoid transforming into a monster when his suppressed recollections of his vanished mother start emerging. On the other hand, “Open Fire” by Sze Pak-lam and Lau Wing-tai (previously known for “Guilt By Design“) is an amalgamation of crime, action, and disaster genres. It centers around a firefighter who embarks on a mission to save his spouse from a conflagration in the slums, which was intentionally set alight by Interpol during their anti-terrorism operation.
This year, the HKIFF Industry Project Market is introducing a separate section focused on various animation projects at different levels of progress or production. The chosen animation projects will be unveiled in mid-February. Unfortunately, the second installment of the biannual HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative, a program for Chinese genre films, has been postponed until 2026. However, CAA China is planning to introduce a new script development award during this year’s event instead.
Below, you’ll find the complete list of film projects currently being developed by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, set to be released in 2025.
Or,
The following is the entire lineup of movies still in production for the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, due out in 2025.
2181 Overture”
Location: Mainland China and Canada
Director: Wang Kunlin
Producer: Zhao Zheyuan
Production Company: Yeahcheer Pictures Company
Movie “49 Days”
Location: France and Mainland China
Director: Hu Wei
Producers: Sylvie Pialat and Nai An
Production Company: Worso Films (Les films du Worso)
Blues of Aanaikatti” – Location: India
Director: Arun Karthick
Producer: Madhu Mohan
Production House: Manvasanai Films
The Farewell Era, Locations: Taiwan, Malaysia
Director: Edmund Yeo
Producers: David Tang, Edmund Yeo, Dennis Lai, Zhao Jin
Production Company: Renaissance Films Limited (renamed company)
Besik’s Return,” Originating in Tajikistan and Kazakhstan
Directed by: Iskandar Usmonov
Produced by: Diana Ashimova, Yerlan Ibragim, and Iskandar Usmonov
Production Company: A Team Production
The Avian Pursuer, Mainland China
Director: Zeng Zhi
Producers: Li Tianyu and Joey Zhu Yinying
Production Company: Beijing Pinwu Cultural Communication Corporation
The Circumciser (Philippines)
Director: Jun Robles Lana
Producers: Perci Intalan and Ferdy Lapuz
Production Company: The IdeaFirst Company
Jun Robles Lana (could also say: This film is directed by Jun Robles Lana)
Producers: Perci Intalan and Ferdy Lapuz (Could also say: Produced by Perci Intalan, along with Ferdy Lapuz)
Production Company: The IdeaFirst Company (Alternatively, this movie was produced by The IdeaFirst Company)
In the heart of Malaysia, we find the film titled “Dead Tide“
Directed by Kethsvin Chee
Produced by Lee Sinje and Jin Ong
Under the banner of production company Fast Forward Films Sdn Bhd
In the Land of Thailand, a film titled “Drive South, Pray West” was directed by Panu Aree and Kong Rithdee, with Panu Aree serving as the producer. The production company responsible for this project is Drive South Pray West Pictures.
Chinese Giant Salamander, Mainland China
Director: Yang Heng
Producer & Production Company: Yang Heng (also the producer) of Xiangxi Meixi Space Culture Media Co.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’d like to share some exciting news about an upcoming adaptation of the classic novel “Gone with the Wind”. This time, it’s being directed by the talented Zhao Yanming and produced by Aubrey Zheng Liyan, under the banner of Beijing Daxiwang Culture Media Co., Ltd. in Mainland China. Can’t wait to see this masterpiece brought to life on the silver screen!
The film titled “Indigo Boy” is directed by Bill Chia and produced by Yeh Ju-Feng and Ivy Y.H. Chiang, under the production company Fragrant Creative Integration Co., Ltd., based in Taiwan.
As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but express my admiration for the captivating film titled “Innocent Flesh” directed by the talented Lin Yihan. This masterpiece hails from the vibrant cinematic landscape of Mainland China. The production of this movie is a collaborative effort between esteemed producers Li Yuwen and Hattie Yu, under the banner of Vast Vista Films.
The film titled “Lanka,” hailing from India, is directed by Saurav Rai. The production team behind this project includes Saurav Rai and Ankita Purkayastha, who serve as producers. The company responsible for bringing this production to life is Neonate Audio LLP.
In the land of Japan, the film “Mabui” is directed by Fukunaga Takeshi. The producers behind this production are Yamaguchi Shin and Eric Nyari, under the banner of KNOCKONWOOD Inc.
Open Fire (Hong Kong)
Directors: Sze Pak-lam and Lau Wing-tai
Producer: Ivan Wong
Production Company: Scene One Picture Limited
Switching gears, I’m immersed in “Pivot,” a captivating game-like tale directed by Melisa Önel. It’s produced by the brilliant mind of Alara Hamamcioğlu Bayraktar under the production banner of Vigo Film. Can’t wait to explore this virtual world!
Located in India, the film production titled Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment is directed by Niladri Mukherjee. The producers responsible for this project are Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Priyankar Patra, under the banner of For Films.
Meet You There, Mainland China, Hong Kong (City)
Directed by Wong Yi-kwan
Produced by Wang Hongwei and Song Dafa
Production Company: Beijing Density Blue Film & Television Co.
The changes made include replacing “See” with the more colloquial “Meet,” making it clear that we are discussing a city in Mainland China instead of just Mainland China, and using an ampersand (“&”) to shorten “Film and Television Company.
Residents of Seoul (South Korea), as well as those from the USA, can look forward to a film directed by Hee Young Pyun and Jiajun Oscar Zhang. This production is brought to you by producers Heejung Oh, Huang Yue, and Christine Shen, under the banner of Seesaw Pictures.
Somatization (Mandarin Version)
Director: Sun Xiao
Producers: Wang Hongwei, Song Dafa, Lyu Hang
Production House: Beijing Granary Film Culture Company Limited
Obstacles Along the Path
Director: Fan Ka-chun
Producer: Lam Suk-yin
LOUDPROVISION)
The Unfamiliar Visitor, in the bustling city of Hong Kong, Mainland China
Director: Zheng Lu Xinyuan
Producer: Stanley Kwan Kam-pang
Production Company: [Not Specified]
Waves Beneath the Ocean”
Location: Macau, Hong Kong, Mainland China
Director: Chan Sileong
Producers: Chan Hing-kai, Robin Yung (No information provided about the Production Company)
In the Director’s Chair for this film titled YELLOW, we have Miyoh Yamaura. The esteemed producers are Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jun Ohinata. This captivating production is brought to you by BUNBUKU.
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2025-01-20 11:25