HAF unveils line-up of 29 projects

The line-up includes four projects under the third annual HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award, which aims to support scripts from up-and-coming Chinese filmmakers (see full line-up below).

Mendoza is bringing feature film project The Embroiderer, about undying love, along with documentary Gay Messiah, which questions religion and belief. The Philippines’ Jun Robles Lana also returns to HAF this year with his project Our Father, after winning the 2013 HAF award for Barber’s Tales.

Hong Kong filmmakers are also strongly represented in the line-up, with five projects, including comedian Lam Tze-chung’s Game and actress-turned-director Carrie Ng’s Angel Whispers.

Hong Kong projects also include Jason Kwan’s A Nail Clipper Romance, produced by acclaimed director Pang Ho-cheung; Philip Yung’s The Sea, produced by Jia Zhang-ke’s regular producer Chow Keung; and Simon Chung’s I Miss You When I See You, produced by Jacqueline Liu.

Other filmmakers to bring projects to the co-producing and financing event include Taiwan’s Lin Yu-hsien (Jump! Ashin) with love story Follow You; Bhutan’s Dechen Roder with The Honeygiver Among The Dogs; and India’s Dev Benegal with Dead, End.

In addition to Mendoza’s Gay Messiah, documentary projects in the line-up include Sherman Ong and Brigitte Sigmundstad’s Lucy And I, about origin and migration; Fazila Amiri’s Hip Hop Kabul, about Afghanistan’s first female rapper; and Rakesh Sharma’s Malegaon: Tales From The Terror Trail, about minority identity politics. 

This year, HAF is introducing the Fushan Documentary Award, supported by China’s Fushan Features. The winner will receive a cash award of HK$100,000 and will be offered a development contract with Fushan Features.

HAF will take place March 24-26 alongside Filmart (March 24-27) and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (March 24-April 7).

12th HAF Project List

30 Days Of Ginger (Singapore)
Director: TEO Eng Tiong
Producer: LIM Jen Nee
Production company: Pilgrim Pictures

Angel Whispers (Hong Kong)
Director: Carrie NG, Shirley YUNG
Producer: Carrie NG, Shirley YUNG, CHAN Pang-chun
Production company: Sundream Motion Pictures

Dance Of Death (Japan)
Director: KITAGAWA Hitoshi 
Producer: YUKAWA Akiko
Production company: and music ltd

Dead, End (India)
Director: Dev BENEGAL
Producer: Dev BENEGAL, Satish KAUSHIK
Production company: August Entertainment

Devil And Dust (China)
Director: LI Xiaofeng
Producer: SHEN Yang, JIA Lisha
Production company: Loyalty & Royalty Cultural Transmission

Dust (China)
Director: ZHAO Liang
Producer: PANG Yee-wah, Sylvie BLUM
Production company: Jet Tone Films

The Embroiderer (The Philippines)
Director: Brillante MENDOZA
Producer: Larry CASTILLO
Production company: Center Stage Productions (CSP)

Five Star Billionaire (Malaysia-China)
Director: Bernard CHAULY
Producer: Lina TAN, LEE Mee Fung
Production company: Red Films

Follow You (China)
Director: LIN Yu-Hsien
Producer: Stanley KWAN
Production company: Phoenix Legend Films Co

Forgive Me (China)
Director: Lina YANG
Producer: LIAO Ching-Sung, Lina YANG
Production company: Sodium Ltd

Game (Hong Kong)
Director: LAM Tze-chung
Producer: OR Wing-shuen, Ken HUI Chi-kin 
Production company: One Tree Films

Gay Messiah (The Philippines)
Director: Brillante MENDOZA
Producer: Aurora CRUZ
Production company: Center Stage Productions (CSP)

Hip Hop Kabul (Afghanistan)
Director: Fazila AMIRI
Producer: Paul LEE
Production company: Kabuli Camera

The Honeygiver Among The Dogs (Bhutan)
Director: Dechen RODER
Producer: Dechen RODER
Production company: Dakinny Productions

I Miss You When I See You (Hong Kong)
Director: Simon CHUNG
Producer: Jacqueline LIU
Production company: Playhouse Limited

Instant Love (China)
Director: YANG Jin
Producer: ZHANG Jun
Production company: HI Film

Lucy And I (Singapore)
Director: Sherman ONG, Birgitte SIGMUNDSTAD
Producer: Sherman ONG, Birgitte SIGMUNDSTAD
Production company: Studio Shermano

Malegaon: Tales From The Terror Trail (India)
Director: Rakesh SHARMA
Producer: Rakesh SHARMA
Production Company: N/A

A Nail Clipper Romance (Hong Kong)
Director: Jason KWAN
Producer: PANG Ho-cheung, Subi LIANG
Production company: Making Film Productions

Our Father (The Philippines)
Director: Jun Robles LANA
Producer: Ferdinand LAPUZ, Perci INTALAN
Production company: Octobertrain Films

Private Eyes (Taiwan)
Director: CHANG Jung-Chi
Producer: CHEN Hung-Yuan, PANG Yee-Wah
Production company: Double Edge Entertainment (DEE)

The Sea (Hong Kong)
Director: Philip YUNG
Producer: CHOW Keung
Production company: Xstream Pictures

So Be It (Thailand)
Director: Kongdej JATURANRASMEE
Producer: Kongdej JATURANRASMEE, Soros SUKHUM, Auttapon NA-BANGCHANG
Production company: Song Sound Production, TrueVisions

The Trial (China)
Director: SHENG Zhimin
Producer: YANG Dong
Production company: Shenglai TV And Film Culture Company

The Wedding Terminator (Malaysia-China-Hong Kong)
Director: Stanley LAW
Producer: Jess TEONG
Production company: Three Production

The 3rd Annual HAF/Fox Chinese Film Development Award

Game Of Suspects (Hong Kong)
Director: Ben LEE Cheuk-pan
Producer: Flora GOH
Production company: Scout Pictures Limited

Love Is Speaking (China)
Director: SHU Haolun
Producer: LE Bei
Production company: Hours Film

Sisters Snake (Singapore-US)
Director: ONG Meng
Producer: ONG Meng, KUROIWA Hisami
Production company: Media Space Inc

The Solitary Pier (Taiwan)
Director: Jack SHIH
Producer: DAI Hsin-Ping
Production company: Red Alien Studio