The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) has unveiled 26 in-development projects for the 22nd Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), which will become part of the newly expanded HKIFF Industry Project Market.
The lineup features both veteran and rising filmmakers including Koji Fukada, Hong Khaou, Jang Kun-jae, Qiu Jiongjiong, Patiparn Boontarig, Wang Xiaoshuai, Teruhisa Yamamoto, and Zhang Lu. The projects cover comedy, horror, action, romance and family drama, including seven first features, two animations and a string of cross-country collaborations.
Scroll down for full list of projects
“The selection is a testament to the resurgence of diversity and the revitalisation of international collaborations,” said Jacob Wong, HKIFF Industry director. “As the world gradually returns to normality, we eagerly embrace the opportunities ahead. One of our first efforts is to evolve HAF into a more complete and multi-faceted project market.”
HAF will run from March 11-13 in conjunction with Hong Kong Filmart as with previous years. It will become an integral part of the newly expanded HKIFF Project Market, which will comprise both the in-development and work-in-progress programmes from HAF as well as the new HKIFF Industry – CAA China Genre Initiative (HCG) for Chinese-language genre films.
Among this year’s projects in development, five are developed through HAF Film Lab, which include A Ghost In The Market by Chin Chia-Hua (Trouble Girl), about a woman, beaten to death by husband, who continues to run her market stall; Emetjan Memet’s wry comedy Good Drink Pub, about a tavern boss who falls in love with a new waitress in Xinjiang; and Yeung Leung-chuen’s The Playwright’s Stories, about a young man who goes to study drama in Taiwan while his girlfriend stays in Hong Kong.
Directed by Hanna Jalali and Moeinoddin Jalali, The Echo Of The Leopard represents the first Iran-Ukraine project for HAF. This Iran-set crime drama is about an ageing father who unwittingly reveals his criminal past and throws his son’s life into disarray. Further international co-productions include Nagi Notes by Koji Fukada (Love Life), a Japan-France co-production about the friendship between a Tokyo architect and two high school boys whom she meets during a visit to her sculptor friend in a mountain village, and Staring At Your Back by Jang Kun-Jae (Because I Hate Korea, 2023 Busan’s opening film), a Korea-Japan co-production about a Japanese high school boy who harbours a deep affection for his childhood friend, a Korean boy.
Projects that are toplined by acclaimed producers include: About Her Hidden Life, which Wang Xiaoshuai (So Long, My Son) produces for director Zhang Yushan, about a young woman who attempts to start her life anew; The Vampire Of Sheung Shui, produced by Peter Yam (The Sunny Side of the Street) and Michael J. Werner (Suk Suk) for director Shreyom Ghosh, a horror comedy about a slacker turning into a bloodthirsty vampire; Sakamoto Yukari’s White Flowers And Fruits, produced by Yamamoto Teruhisa (Drive My Car), a teen drama set in a Christian girls’ boarding school; and Tephra, which Zhang Lu (The Shadowless Tower) produces for Zhang Yu (Killing The Violet), a triptych about two men, one woman and a couple of volcanoes.
Several rising directors bring their upcoming projects to HAF. Patiparn Boontarig of Busan New Currents winner Solids By The Seashore presents Naga Swim Upstream, about a woman who returns home to Chiang Rai and recovers her mythical Naga lineage; Qiu Jiongjiong of Locarno special jury prize winner A New Old Play brings The Sichuan Culinary Chronicles: In Four Chapters, a dark and comedic culinary guide to Sichuan cuisine in four chapters; and Josh Kim (How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)) presents Camellia Girl, produced by Douglas Seok (Minari), about two Korean-American sisters who return to rural Texas for their father’s funeral.
2024 HAF In-development (IDP) projects
* First narrative feature projects
^ HAF Film Lab projects
About Her Hidden Life (China)*
Dir. Zhang Yushan
Pros. Wang Xiaoshuai, Zhao Yuan
Prodco. Dongchun Films
Blonde (Japan)
Dir. Yuichiro Sakashita
Pro. Kazumi Fukase
Prodcos. Pipeline, The Klockworx
Camellia Girl (S Kor-US-HK)
Dir. Josh Kim
Pro. Douglas Seok
Prodco. Sea Oak Studios
Children Of The River (Japan)
Dir. Lisa Takeba
Pros. Kazuto Nakamura, Hiroyuki Yoshihara
Prodco. Maru
The Echo Of The Leopard (Iran-Ukr)*
Directors: Hanna Jalali, Moeinoddin Jalali
Pros. Moeinoddin Jalali, Hanna Jalali
Prodco. 2 People Production
Encore (US-HK)
Dir. Stefanos Tai
Pro. Jonathan Hsu
Prodco. HsuBox Productions
The Excreman – On The Road (HK)
Dir. Brian Tse
Pros. Brian Tse, Samuel Choy
Prodco. Bliss Pictures Limited
A Ghost In The Market (Tai)^
Dir. Chin Chia-Hua
Pro. Eva Wang
Prodco. Geppetto Film Studio
Good Drink Pub (China)*^
Dir. Emetjan Memet
Pros. Wang Hongwei, Derek Zhang
Prodco. Wuhan Yidapai Culture Media
Naga Swim Upstream (Thai)
Dir. Patiparn Boontarig
Pro. Napakarn Boontarig
Prodco. Error Brothers
Nagi Notes (Japan-Fr)
Dir. Koji Fukada
Pro. Terutaro Osanai
Prodcos. Survivance
The Old Woman With The Knife (S Kor)
Dir. Min Kyu-Dong
Pro. Min Jin-Soo
Prodco. Soofilm
Paraiso (Japan)
Dir. Daichi Murase
Pro. Aiko Flores Yoshioka
Prodco. Kingyo Films
Pet Paradise (China)*
Dir. Hana Zhang
Pro. Wang Hongwei, Song Dafa
Prodco. Just One More Drink (Shanghai) Film
The Playwright’s Stories (HK-Tai)*^
Dir. Yeung Leung-chuen
Pros. Liao Ching-Sung, Chu Yun-Ting
Prodcos. Goodnight Production, Studio Lynnchen
The Remotes (Phil)
Dir. John Torres
Pros. John Torres, Sherad Anthony Sanchez
Prodco. Los Otros
The Sichuan Culinary Chronicles: In Four Chapters (China-HK)
Dir. Qiu Jiongjiong
Pros. Ding Ningyuan, Zhao Jin, Zhao Jia
Prodcos. Uluka Productions, Midnight Blur Films, Muyi Film
Simon Young (China-Can)
Dir. Zeng Zhi
Pros. Ben Lu, Joey Zhu
Prodco. Pinwu Culture
Sink City (Can)^
Dir. Hou Dasheng
Pros. Wang Hongwei, Li Zhaoyu
Prodco. Hani Film
The Song Of The Hills (China)
Dir. Wang Erzhuo
Pros. Gu Zheng, Zhang Guanren
Staring At Your Back (S Kor-Jap)
Dir. Jang Kun-Jae
Pros. Youn Hee-Young, Imai Taro, Joyce Chou Chia-Yi
Prodcos. Mocushura Inc., Harakiri Films LLC., Rustic Pictures
Tephra (China)
Dir. Zhang Yu
Pro. Zhang Lu
The Vampire Of Sheung Shui (HK)*
Dir. Shreyom Ghosh
Pros. Peter Yam, Michael J. Werner, Shreyom Ghosh
Prodco. Tasia Films, 70 Plus Production
Wake Me Up (China)*^
Dir. Yu Haiyang
Pro. Yun Fei
Prodco. TR. Movie
Walled City (HK-UK-Sing)
Dir. Hong Khaou
Pros. Raymond Phathanavirangoon, Teresa Kwong
Prodco. ProduSa
White Flowers And Fruits (Japan)
Dir. Sakamoto Yukari
Pro. Yamamoto Teruhisa
Prodco. Chiaroscuro
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