HKIFF Collection, the sales and distribution label of HKIFF Industry, is set to launch Philip Yung’s upcoming transgender drama Cyclone and reveal the first five minutes of footage at Filmart in Hong Kong today (March 17).
Following acclaimed features Port Of Call and Papa, the Hong Kong director explores trans issues in his latest film, which follows a woman from mainland China who travels to Hong Kong to find her true self. She tirelessly saves for a gender affirmation surgery, only to begin having doubts about what she truly desires.
The cast is led by mainland Chinese actress Liu Yuqiao, Hong Kong stage actor Li Yuxuan and Sun Heyi (Papa). It is produced by Hong Kong-based Word By Word, the production company that Yung co-founded with producer Effy Sun.
The first footage from the upcoming feature will be unveiled at the work-in-progress open pitch at Filmart, hosted by the Hong Kong-Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF), alongside projects selected for HAF’s WIP section.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) will handle international sales and festival strategy through HKIFF Collection, while China’s Heaven Pictures will manage distribution in the mainland. It marks the final project from Back to Basics (B2B): A Love Supreme, an initiative launched by HKIFFS and Heaven Pictures to demonstrate how high-quality films can still be made on a low budget of $138,000 (RMB1 million). Ishii Yuya’s All The Things We Never Said and Tan Chui Mui’s Barbarian Invasion are among previous B2B titles.
Yung is a renowned filmmaker whose tragic family drama Papa premiered at Tokyo in October and has received 11 nominations at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film and best director. He also produced 2022 hit courtroom drama The Sparring Partner.
No comments yet