Cannes 2025: The hot projects from Hong Kong and China

Festival

Girl On Edge

Dir. Zhou Jinghao
Girl On Edge follows a struggling figure skater who befriends a worker with a gift for the sport, only to spiral into obsession when her mother and coach starts to train the upstart. Zhou’s directorial feature debut premieres in Directors’ Fortnight, and stars Zhang Zifeng, Ma Yili and newcomer Ding Xiangyuan. Leste Chen is lead producer on the title, which is backed by Beijing Enlight Pictures. Zhou studied computer science at Harvard and worked in Silicon Valley before leaving the tech world to pursue filmmaking. His short film credits include Lausanne and Get Out.
Contact: Guliguo Pictures

Resurrection

Dir. Bi Gan
This is the third feature from Bi, who graduates to Competition after his romantic drama Long Day’s Journey Into Night played Un Certain Regard in 2018. Set in the future, it follows a woman who enters the dreams of a monster and attempts to uncover hidden truths. The cast includes Jackson Yee (Better Days), Shu Qi (The Assassin), Mark Chao and Li Gengxi. Producers are Shan Zuolong, Yang Lele and Charles Gillibert, and music is by French electronic outfit M83. Bi’s debut Kaili Blues won two prizes at Locarno in 2015.
Contact: Les Films du Losange

Sons Of The Neon Night

Dir. Juno Mak
Set for Midnight Screenings, the second film from singer and actor-turned-director Mak features a stellar cast led by Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Sean Lau and Louis Koo. The $50m crime drama follows a series of wild actions planned by a pharmaceutical heir. The title theme was composed by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Catherine Hun produces for Sons Company, Sil-Metropole Organisation, JQ Pictures Holdings and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Mak made his directing debut with Rigor Mortis, a Venice premiere in 2013.
Contact: Distribution Workshop

Market

Another World

Dir. Tommy Ng Kai Chung
This 2D animation marks the feature debut of Hong Kong-based Ng, who directed an award-winning short of the same name in 2019. The new film, set to world premiere at Annecy, focuses on a spirit responsible for guiding transient souls to their reincarnation, as he embarks on a perilous mission to prevent a young girl from transforming into a monster. Producers are Polly Yeung from Hong Kong-based Point Five Creations and Singapore-based Silver Media Group’s Chan Gin Kai.
Contact: Polly Yeung, Point Five Creations

Blades Of The Guardians

Dir. Yuen Woo-Ping
With an A-list cast led by Wu Jing, Jet Li and Nicholas Tse, this Sui Dynasty-set martial-arts film is adapted from Xu Xianzhe’s popular Chinese comic series. When a special escort mission disturbs the peace of the desert, various forces are drawn into the fray and stir up turmoil across the entire land. It marks Yuen’s first action film as director since 2018’s Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy. The kung fu master and filmmaker is best known internationally for his choreography on The Matrix and Kill Bill.
Contact: Avery Lam, Mandarin Motion Pictures

Cold War 1994

Dir. Longman Leung
Following the box-office success of 2012’s Cold War and its 2016 sequel, Hong Kong producers Bill Kong and Ivy Ho have teamed with director Leung for two prequels. The new leads include Daniel Wu and Terrance Lau (Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In). The first prequel, set in 1994, follows high-ranking police officer MB Lee, who is forced to walk a fine line between the triads, elites and British colonial government during a high-profile kidnapping case. A release is expected in Q4.
Contact Jason Ieong, Edko Films

Dog Day Evening

Dir. Mak Tin Shu
The directing debut of award-winning screenwriter Mak (Trivisa) is a comedy drama set in a TV station. When a man bursts in and takes hostages, all he wants is to cancel his subscription, the process of which is so frustrating that even his captives cannot do it. The cast comprises Michael Ning, Mak Pui Tung, Yukki Tai and Rachel Leung. Producers are Alvin Lam and Lau Ho Leung. The film has received funding support from Hong Kong’s Film Development Council and is scheduled for a Q3 release in Hong Kong.
Contact: Kristie Chau, Universe Films Distribution

Dong Ji Island

Dirs. Guan Hu, Fei Zhenxiang
The latest film by Guan, whose Black Dog won the Un Certain Regard prize last year, is an $80m epic based on real events from the Second World War. When a Japanese freighter was mistakenly attacked off the coast near Shanghai, a group of Chinese islanders embarked on a dangerous mission to rescue the trapped British PoWs. Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei and Ni Ni head the cast. Lead producer is Liang Jing, with backing from The Seventh Art Pictures (Beijing), Shanghai Tao Piao Piao Movie & TV Culture and Beijing Enlight Pictures. Fei has previously co-directed drama series with Guan.
Contact: The Seventh Art Pictures (Beijing)

The Flower Princess (Part 1)

Dirs. Foo Sing Choong, Zhang Jia-hua, Cui Wei-quan
This historical animation is inspired by the tragic tale of Princess Changping and her fiancé, who risked their lives to retrieve the body of her father, the last emperor of the Ming dynasty. The story is told in the form of Cantonese opera, with lead vocalists John Lau and Lanzy Choy. Backed by Foshan Hongshu Studio and produced by Beijing Treasure Tree Studio, the project will be released in two parts, with the first scheduled for November in China.
Contact: Grace Chan, Entertaining Power

Green Wave

Dir. Xu Lei
This comedy drama opened Udine’s Far East Film Festival in April after winning the best actor and jury award at China’s Pingyao. The story follows a 40-year-old screenwriter who yearns for stardom with his debut film. But things take a turn when his father from the countryside turns up unexpectedly with a mysterious antique in tow. Director Xu previously directed 2019 comedy Summer Detective.
Contact: Parallax Films

Her First Taste

Dir. Gong Yiwen
Director Gong’s feature debut follows a millennial girl who forms a bittersweet bond with a boy, depicting the raw emotions of adolescence with a documentary style and amateur cast. It is part of the market’s HAF Goes to Cannes programme. Producer Qian Yini was behind San Sebastian 2020 title Wuhai and exec produced Wang Xiaoshuai’s Berlinale 2019 prize winner So Long, My Son.
Contact: Qian Yini, Yiwen Films

Into The Mortal World

Dir. Zhong Ding
This 3D animated feature is set to compete at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, following a release in China last summer. The story follows a divine young man who descends to the mortal world to redeem his mother, and a mortal girl who coincidentally seeks to find her mother in the divine world. The film is produced by Guangzhou-based WinSing Animation as the debut title in its Eastern Legends series. It received a Golden Rooster nomination in China in 2024.
Contact: WinSing Animation

The Litchi Road

Dir. Da Peng
Da Peng directs and stars in this period comedy drama adapted from a bestselling 2022 novel by Ma Boyong. Set during the Tang Dynasty, the story revolves around a low-ranking official who is assigned an important yet almost impossible task to deliver fresh lychee fruits from the south to the capital in the north. Co-stars include Bai Ke, Zhuang Dafei and Terrance Lau, and it is produced by Li Yaping’s AimMedia Pictures, with Tianjin Maoyan Weiying Culture Media and Beijing Cheer Entertainment as major backers. A summer release is scheduled in China for July 25. Da Peng recent directing credits include Post Truth and One And Only.
Contact: Rinky Yu, CMC Pictures

Say My Name

Dir. Liu Xing
Director Liu’s debut centres on a girl who impersonates an exchange student and starts a fling with a rich boy, but begins to lose herself in this new identity. The cast includes Hong Kong’s Yoyo Tse, winner of best new performer at both the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards in 2023, Malaysia’s Jack Tan (Abang Adik) and Cai Jie. Cannes-winning DoP Lyu Yue and Borrowed Time’s Mo Jinjin are producers, and the title is part of the HAF Goes To Cannes programme.
Contact: Mo Jinjin, Star Lab Production

• Future Leaders 2025: film sales and acquisitions executives to watch