Manager, international sales, Edko Films
- Studied English for professional communication at City University of Hong Kong
- Joined Film Mode Entertainment as sales consultant in 2020
After a stint at English-language TV channel TVB Pearl, Ieong entered the film industry in 2013 through cinema chain UA Films, focusing on local distribution and liaising with overseas licensors. In 2017, he made the move into film sales at Emperor Motion Pictures followed by Bravos Pictures, before toning up his sales skills virtually at Film Mode Entertainment during the pandemic.
In 2022 he joined Edko Films where he now leads on international sales. Ieong’s first physical film market was EFM in 2023, where he brought along two massive hits from Edko Films — Jack Ng’s A Guilty Conscience and Zhang Yimou’s Full River Red were that year’s biggest hits in Hong Kong and mainland China respectively.
The short window between theatrical and streaming presents a big challenge for sales, says Ieong. “Buyers are cautious with pre-buys nowadays and will put into consideration if the film is out on the streamer soon after the release, meaning we have to close deals within a few months,” he notes.
In Cannes he will unveil Edko Films’ next big project, a highly anticipated Hong Kong title. Over the years, Ieong says that learning to “think differently” has been the most important approach as he aspires to develop in sales and take Hong Kong films further afield.
Contact: Jason leong
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