AFM 2022: hot projects from Hong Kong and China

Hong Kong production and sales companies are returning to AFM for the first time since 2019 following an easing of strict pandemic-­related travel restrictions. Leading firms such as Emperor Motion Pictures, Golden Network Asia, Mandarin Motion Pictures and Media Asia will be among those making their return to the Loews.

The Hong Kong Trade Devel­opment Council will also be in attendance to drum up the return of an in-person Filmart in March 2023 and showcase the latest line-up of Hong Kong companies that are unable to make the long trip to Santa Monica. The mandatory Covid-19 hotel quarantine for inbound passengers — which had been strictly enforced for more than two years — only ended on September 26, making it a short-notice scramble for those making the trip out.

It has been a rollercoaster year at the Hong Kong box office, with cinemas closed for more than 100 days in the early part of 2022. However, after hitting rock bottom, cinema business has scaled new heights with back-to-back local hits during the summer and beyond. Sci-fi action thriller Warriors Of Future and comedy Table For Six have each crossed $8.9m (hk$70m), making them the first and second highest-grossing Asian films of all time respectively in Hong Kong. The combined box office of two other releases — Mama’s Affair and Chilli Laugh Story — has also passed $8.9m (hk$70m).

From the AFM line-up, more local films have been scheduled for release such as The Sparring Partner, a rare court drama with a restrictive category III rating that opened on October 27, and Hong Kong Family, fresh from Busan International Film Festival and due to open on November 24. Both are feature debuts supported by the Hong Kong Film Development Fund.

With no signs of China loosening its strict approach to censorship, it is becoming more difficult to secure mainland release dates well in advance. The star-­studded Hong Kong-China co-productions being promoted at AFM have had no release confirmed but are aiming for 2023. They include I Did It My Way with Andy Lau; Bursting Point starring Nick Cheung; Under Current with Aaron Kwok; and Hong Kong’s submission to the Oscars, Where The Wind Blows, also starring Kwok and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

A further two high-profile productions that were shot in China and will likely attract international attention are Jackie Chan-starrer Ride On and period martial-arts drama Sakra, directed and produced by Donnie Yen, who also stars. 

Back Home

Dir. Nate Ki

This suspense horror stars Anson Kong from Cantopop boy band Mirror as a man who returns from Canada to Hong Kong where his estranged mother is in a coma, only to start seeing ghosts and discover a series of suicide cases in his old neighbourhood. Bai Ling (Dumplings) and Tai Bo (Suk Suk) co-star. The film marks the directorial feature debut of Ki, who was a winner of the mm2 Movie Makers Awards short film competition. Headquartered in Singapore, mm2 Studios Hong Kong has been active in producing local Hong Kong productions, including box-office hit One Second Champion and award-winning drama Drifting.
Contact: mm2 Studios Hong Kong 

Bursting Point

Dir. Calvin Tong

Dante Lam, director of mainland Chinese blockbusters Operation Red Sea and The Battle At Lake Changjin, makes his producing debut with this $25.5m (hk$200m) action tentpole backed by Emperor Motion Pictures and China’s Bona Film Group. The film marks the directorial debut of Tong and is also produced by Lam’s longtime collaborator Candy Leung. It also stars Lam’s frequent actor Nick Cheung (Unbeatable) who leads the cast alongside William Chan and Isabella Leong. Set in Hong Kong and Malaysia, the crime action thriller focuses on the chief inspector of an anti-narcotics unit who puts everything on the line while bringing drug traffickers to justice.
Contact: Miriam Cheung, Emperor Motion Pictures

Crypto Storm

Dir. Terry Ng

Following the popular Storm franchise, which spawned five unrelated anti-corruption films including last year’s G Storm, the franchise’s producer Raymond Wong and director David Lam have created a spin-off series of features, with both serving as producers. Crypto Storm is one of the new titles from the series and stars Ron Ng, Adam Pak and Justin Cheung, all from the Breakout Brothers franchise. The story follows a special unit set up by the anti-corruption division to investigate cryptocurrency fraud. New director Ng also has Hybrid Storm, part of the same spin-off series, in post-production.
Contact: Mandarin Motion Pictures Distribution

A Guilty Conscience

Dir. Jack Ng

Dayo Wong, star of box-office smash Table For Six, leads this drama about a barrister who takes on a child abuse case, hoping to redeem himself from a mistake made several years ago that resulted in his defendant being sent to jail. The cast also includes Louise Wong and Fish Liew, who both won prizes at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards for their roles in the music biopic Anita. Bill Kong and Ivy Ho, both of Anita and Cold War, produce this directorial debut by director/writer Ng, who was the co-writer of Anita and Cold War II.
Contact: Jason Ieong, Edko Films

Hong Kong Family

Dir. Eric Tsang Hing-weng

This feature debut is based on director Tsang’s own experience and follows a family that was torn apart after a winter solstice dinner turned sour eight years ago. The cast includes Edan Lui and Anson Lo, both from popular Hong Kong boy band Mirror, along with veteran actors Teresa Mo (Mama’s Affair) and Tse Kwan Ho (Drifting). The film recently premiered at Busan and is set for release in Hong Kong on November 24. Produced by Patricia Cheng (Love Education), the film received funding from the Hong Kong Film Development Fund.
Contact: Jason Ieong, Edko Films

I Did It My Way

Dir. Jason Kwan

Andy Lau (Shock Wave 2), Lam Ka Tung (Limbo) and Eddie Peng (The Rescue) lead this undercover-cop action thriller alongside Cya Liu, who was recently named best actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in Limbo. The film, which is also produced by Lau, is aiming for a mid-2023 release. Backers include Benxiaohai Media, Beijing Alibaba Pictures Culture, Beijing Super Lion Culture Communication and Universe Entertainment. Kwan was a veteran cinematographer before turning to directing and has previously co-directed the Chasing The Dragon film series.
Contact: Mia Sin, Universe Films Distribution 

Ride On

Dir. Larry Yang

In this action comedy, Jackie Chan plays an ageing stuntman who becomes a media sensation after a video of him fighting off debt collectors alongside his stunt horse goes viral. The film acts as a tribute to the extraordinary stunts that made Chan one of the world’s most famous action stars. Alibaba Pictures, Beijing Hairun Pictures and Zhejiang Hengdian Film are among the backers. The cast includes Liu Haocun (Cliff Walkers) and Kevin Guo from Chinese director Yang’s previous film Adoring, a 2019 comedy that grossed close to $100m in China.
Contact: Clarence Tang, Golden Network Asia 

Sakra

Dir. Donnie Yen

Action star Yen, best known for his Ip Man franchise and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is taking the director’s chair for the first time in almost two decades. He also produces along with veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Jing and stars in this period martial-arts drama adapted from Louis Cha’s beloved Song dynasty-set novel Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils. Yen plays Qiao Feng — whose name provides the film’s Chinese title — a tragic hero accused of killing his adoptive parents. Chen Yuqi (TV series Heavenly Sword And Dragon Slaying Sabre) and Cya Liu (Limbo) co-star.
Contact: Mandarin Motion Pictures Distribution

The Sparring Partner

Dir. Ho Cheuk Tin

Produced by Where The Wind Blows director Philip Yung, this feature debut is based on the 2013 case of a young man who partnered with a friend to murder and dismember his parents. The cast is led by theatre actors Alan Yeung and Mak Pui-tung. The latter was named best actor in the Chinese-language young cinema competition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) Firebird Awards. The Sparring Partner received a category III classification for people aged 18 and above for its Hong Kong release, where it opened on October 27 through Golden Scene. It was financed by Mei Ah Entertainment with the support of the Hong Kong Film Development Fund.
Contact: Winnie Chan, Mei Ah

The Sunny Side Of The Street

Dir. Lau Kok Rui

This first feature by Malaysia-born, Hong Kong-based writer/director Lau has earned six nominations at the upcoming Golden Horse Awards, including best film, best director and best original screenplay. Anthony Wong (Still Human) and child actor Sahal Zaman are also vying for the best actor and best new performer prizes respectively for their roles as a local taxi driver who forms a special bond with a Hong Kong-born Pakistani child refugee. The film marks the debut project of Petra Films, which is a new banner under global conglomerate Petra Group. Producers include Vinod Sekhar, Soi Cheang, Winnie Tsang and Peter Yam.
Contact: Felix Tsang, Golden Scene 

To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self

Dir. Mabel Cheung

This coming-of-age documentary by acclaimed Hong Kong director Cheung (The Soong Sisters) follows six girls from her alma mater, Ying Wa Girls’ School, at both its campus and a decanting site over 10 years, capturing both the transformation of the heritage school during a major redevelopment and Hong Kong society in its most recent turbulent years. It premiered at HKIFF and will screen at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival in November. Cheung’s close collaborator Alex Law, director of Berlinale Crystal Bear winner Echoes Of The Rainbow, served as production consultant before his death in July.
Contact: Felix Tsang, Golden Scene 

Under Current

Dir. Alan Mak

The latest crime thriller by director Mak of the Overheard film series boasts a stellar cast that includes Aaron Kwok (Where The Wind Blows), Simon Yam (Chasing The Dragon II: Wild Wild Bunch) and Francis Ng (Drifting). The crime drama follows a barrister and a police officer who form an unlikely partnership to investigate a seemingly reputable charity foundation after a large sum of donations goes missing and whose CFO hung himself on stage during its annual party. The film is produced by Tin Kai Man and is in post-production.
Contact: Miriam Cheung, Emperor Motion Pictures

Where The Wind Blows

Dir. Philip Yung

Acclaimed stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings) and Aaron Kwok (Port Of Call) lead this crime epic, which is Hong Kong’s submission for the Oscars. The long-awaited film received its premiere at HKIFF in August after being withdrawn from the same festival last year. Dadi Century, Mei Ah Film Production and Bona Film Group are among the main investors of the $38m feature, which revolves around four notoriously corrupt police officers who rose to power in 1960s Hong Kong. Director Yung’s previous crime thriller Port Of Call won seven prizes at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016.
Contact: Winnie Chan, Mei Ah 

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