Apichatpong, Kawase among filmmakers selected for HAF

HAF also announced the five finalists for the second HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award.

Apichatpong, who won the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2010, is bringing to HAF a project entitled Cemetary Of Kings, about a lonely middle-aged housewife and a soldier with sleeping sickness.

Kawase will present 2 Ways, based on the cycle of life, death and reproduction as told through Japan’s Amami islanders. She is also attached as a producer to another HAF project; Jang Kunjae’ All About You. The line-up also includes atmospheric horror Of A Promise Kept (working title) from Japanese director Yukisada Isao, who won the FIPRESCI Prize for Paredo at the Berlin film festival in 2010.

Five projects have been selected from HAF’s host country of Hong Kong including The Ceiling from indie filmmaker and local film critic Philip Yung; King Of Shrimp Roe Noodle from Hong Kong actor Lam Tze-chung; and When I Come To Me from Lam Suk-ching whose short film, Acid, won the Short Film Competition Special Prize at the 36th HKIFF.

In addition, industry veterans Teddy Robin Kwan and Roddy Wong have teamed up to produce young director Ho Hong’s debut feature Doomsday Party, while Heiward Mak is producing Pseudo-Secular from newcomer Rita Hui.

From outside Asia, multiple BAFTA award-winning director Morgan Matthews will present X+Y, which has David Thompson’s Origin Pictures on board as producer.

Meanwhile, the HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award finalists include Singaporean Han Yek Kwang’s action comedy Qing Gong; Huang Yao’s directorial debut Male Joy / Female Love; film scholar Sobel Chan Ka-lok’s comedy League of HK Movie Heroes; Gong Zhaohui’s Underground River, scripted by Li Qiang and Liu Peng; and Hua Wenqing’s animated feature project Ten Brothers.

Presented by HAF and Fox International Productions, the award supports filmmakers in the development of Chinese-language cinema. Finalists are invited to present their work to the Fox panel during the 11th HAF, and the winner will receive HK$100,000, a development contract and first-look agreement with Fox.

11th HAF Project List

2 Ways (Japan)
Director: KAWASE Naomi, Producer: OGAWA Shinji
Production Companies: Kumie Inc, Bridgehead Inc

2:30AM (China)
Director: PENG Tao, Producers: PENG Tao, Lilly AUSTIN
Production Companies: New Youth Independent Film Studio, Heaven Pictures (Beijing) Culture & Media Co

Adventure (Kazakhstan / France)
Director: Nariman TUREBAYEV, Producer: Guillaume DE SEILLE
Production Company: Arizona Productions

All About You (Japan)
Director: JANG Kunjae, Producer: KAWASE Naomi
Production Company: Nara International Film Festival

Barber’s Tales (Philippines)
Director: Jun Robles LANA, Producers: Ferdinand LAPUZ, Perci INTALAN, Tonee ACEJO
Production Company: Octobertrain Films

Camoes and Dinamene (Sri Lanka / Portugal)
Directors: Gabriel ABRANTES, Vimukthi JAYASUNDARA
Producers: Gabriel ABRANTES, Vimukthi JAYASUNDARA
Production Companies: DOX:LAB, A Mutual Respect Productions

The Ceiling (Hong Kong)
Director: Philip YUNG; Producer: CHANG Wen
Production Company: Digital Jungle Production

Cemetery of Kings (Thailand / UK / Germany / France)
Director: Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL
Producers: Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL, Simon FIELD, Keith GRIFFITHS
Production Companies: Kick the Machine Films, Illuminations Films

Departure (China)
Director: ZHOU Hongbo, Producer: LI Yuan
Production Companies: Chengdu Tanshang Film Works, Shanghai Tanshang Film Works

Doomsday Party (Hong Kong)
Director: HO Hong, Producers: Teddy Robin KWAN, Roddy WONG
Production Company: Film Plus Productions

Forever Awhile (working title) (Thailand / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Denmark)
Directors: Anocha SUWICHAKORNPONG, Sejla KAMERIC
Producers: Tine FISCHER, Patricia Drati RONDE, Anocha SUWICHAKORNPONG
Production Companies: DOX:LAB, Electric Eel Films

The Golden Cane Warrior (Indonesia)
Director: Ifa ISFANSYAH, Producer: Mira LESMANA
Production Company: Miles Films

Heart: The Cleaning Company (Taiwan)
Director: HUANG Chao-Liang, Producer: Wolf CHEN
Production Company: Double Edge Entertainment

King of Shrimp Roe Noodle (Hong Kong)
Director: LAM Tze-chung, Producers: Michael TUNG, CHAN Ho-man, LAM Tze-chung
Production Company: Icon Media Group Company

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (South Korea)
Director: YOON Jong-bin, Producer: HAN Jae-deok
Production Companies: Showbox Mediaplex

The Last Wedding on Earth (Indonesia)
Director: Joko ANWAR, Producers: Tia HASIBUAN, Uwie BALFAS
Production Company: Lo-Fi Flicks

Love and Hate (Hong Kong / China)
Director: WANG Bing, Producer: Isabelle GLACHANT
Production Company: Chinese Shadows 

Nude Project (Thailand)
Directors: Sivaroj KONGSAKUL, Aditya ASSARAT, Pramote SANGSORN
Producers: Maenum CHAGASIK, Machima UNGSRIWONG
Production Company: Pop Pictures Co

Of A Promise Kept (working title) (Japan / China)
Director: YUKISADA Isao, Producers: KATAHARA Tomoko, TAKIDA Kazuto
Production Companies: Second Sight Inc, Grasshoppa, J&K Entertainment Inc

One Thousand (The Philippines)
Director: Lawrence FAJARDO, Producer: Krisma FAJARDO
Production Company: Pelikulaw

Please Remember Me (China)
Director: ZHAO Qing, Producers: Violet FENG Du, Ruby YANG
Production Company: Shape Pictures

Pseudo-Secular (Hong Kong)
Director: Rita HUI; Producer: Heiward MAK Hei-yan
Production Company: Dumb Youth Productions

Running in the City (China)
Director: FAN Jian, Producers: HUANG Yinghao, Isabella ZANG
Production Companies: DocChina, Golden Doc Productions

When I Come to Me (Hong Kong)
Director: LAM Suk-ching, Producer: Lawrence LAU
Production Company: Tin Hau

X+Y(UK)
Director: Morgan MATTHEWS, Producer: David M. THOMPSON
Production Companies: Origin Pictures, BBC Films

2013 HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award Finalists

League of HK Movie Heroes (Hong Kong)
Director: Sobel CHAN Ka-lok, Producer: Sobel CHAN Ka-lok
Production Company: Silver Screen

Male Joy / Female Love (China / Canada)
Director: HUANG Yao (HUANG Yunji), Producer: Stanley KWAN
Production Company: Hairun

Qing Gong (Singapore / Hong Kong / China)
Director: HAN Yew Kwang, Producer: LAU Chee Nien
Production Company: 18g Pictures

Underground River (China)
Director: GONG Zhaohui, Producer: YUAN Mei
Production Company: Beijing Cheerland Film & TV Culture Communication Co

Ten Brothers (Taiwan)
Director: HUA Wenqing, Producer: Jimmy YANG
Production Companies: Serenity Entertainment International, The Together Studio