Hong Kong Asia financing forum selects 25 projects for 8th edition

Suzuki, known for the 2005 work Princess Raccoon starring Zhang Ziyi and Joe Odagiri, will present a project A Sense of Honey at the three-day event; while Dai, director of of the award-winning No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, will present contemporary drama I Love You So Much.

Other filmmakers include Ho Yuhang, who is touted as the most talented new director in Malaysia, and Indian director Deven Benegal, who recently made award-winning Road, Movie. Ho will present a drama titled Women and Children First while Benegal will present Samurai, a US-India co-production with Ross Katz (Lost in Translation) producing.

Renowned film-makers including Fruit Chan, Teddy Chen and Pang Ho-cheung are also presenting projects but as producers rather than directors.

This year’s edition includes more pan-region co-productions than previous years, including Korean film-maker Lee Yoon-ki’s Dear Comrade, which is a Korea-Japan-Vietnam co-production;  Thai film-maker Ekachai Uekrongtham’s Chang & Eng will be jointly produced by Thai, US and Singapore companies; Chinese director Sheng Zhimin’s Cosplay, which is a China-France co-production, and Taiwanese film-maker Wang Tung’s drama The Straits, a China-Taiwan co-production.

Jacob Wong, director of HAF, said that many of this year’s projects are expected to go into production as more than a third have already secured more than half of their funding. He added that it demonstrates the “unlimited market potential of Asian films”.

HAF runs March 22 – 24 during Filmart will runs March 22 -25, The Hong Kong International Film Festival will take place March 21 – April 6.

The Arrival (Singapore)
Director/producer :  Tan Pin-pin
Production Company:  BFG Media

Betok (Malaysia)
Director : Sherman ONG
Producer: Tan Bee-thiam
Production Company: 13 Little Pictures                    

The Blood of Wolves (Japan)
Director : Sakaguchi Tak
Producer: Shiomaki Yuko, Kunizane Mizue
Production Company: Pictures Dept. LLP 

Chang & Eng (Thailand /Singapore/USA)
Director/producer : Ekachai Uekrongtham
Production Company: Spicy Apple Films

Cosplay (China/France)
Director: Sheng Zhimin 
Producer: Olivier Mille, Fruit Chan
Production Company: Artlinefilms

Dear Comrade (working title) (Japan/South Korea/Vietnam)
Director: Lee Yoon-ki 
Producer: Toyoyama Yuki, Sean Shin
Production Company: Esprit Inc.       

The Enchanter (Hong Kong/China/Macao)
Director: Kwok Tsz-kin
Producer: Teddy Chen
Production Company: Sum-Wood Productions Limited

Exit to Exist (South Korea)
Director: Jeon Yun-su
Producer: Peter Chu
Production Company: Jupiter Film, Sidus FNH        

Housekeeping (Lebanon) 
Director :  Mazen Khaled                    
Producer:  Paul Lee
Production Company: ii Films

I Love You So Much (Taiwan) 
Director : Leon Dai 
Producer :  Liu Wei-Jan 
Production Company: Atom Cinema

The Immense Floating Life (working title) (Vietnam)
Director:   Binh Nguyen Phan Quang
Producer:   Hanh Ngo Thi Bich
Production Company: Vietnam Studio & Feature Film No.1

12. Light of Darkness (working title) (China)
Director: Zhao Ye 
Producer: Helen Cui 
Production Company: Tianlin Film Productions        

Mama Eva (Hong Kong/China/Switzerland)
Director: Kit Hung
Producer:  LAM Yat-fung, Kit Hung
Production Company: Keep In Touch Company

Mythteries (Japan)
Director: Tezka Macoto
Producer: Hirasawa Sho
Production Company: PaxEterna Limited

Nanjing East Road (Taiwan/Singapore) 
Director: Arvin Chen
Producer: Lee In-Ah
Production Company: Greenskyfilms

Past Love (Thailand/USA)
Director: Lee Chatametikool
Producer:   Anocha Suwichakornpong
Production Company: Electric Eel Films, Houdini Studio

Private Party of the Dead (Hong Kong)
Director: Chui Tien-you
Producer: Pang Ho-cheung
Production Company: Making Film Productions Limited

Samurai (India/USA)
Director: Dev Benegal
Producer: DevBenegal, Ross Katz
Production Company: August Entertainment

A Sense of Honey (Japan) 
Director: Suzuki Seijun 
Producer: Kito Yukie, Kanda Yuji, Hirata Mikihiko
Production Company: Arcimboldo Inc.

The Straits (China/Taiwan)
Director: Wang Tung
Producer: Terence Chang, David Tang
Production Company: Renaissance Films

Teenage Wildlife (China)
Director: Li Jingyi
Producer: Jia Zhangke 
Production Company: Xstream Pictures

Twins (Philippines) 
Director: Sherad Anthony Snachez
Producer: Ronald Arguelles
Production Company: Salida Productions

Women And Children First (Malaysia/Japan)
Director: Ho Yuhang 
Producer: Ono Kousuke, Sugino Kiki
Production Company: Wa Entertainment Inc.

Written In Red (Hong Kong)
Director: Koan Hui
Producer: Fukazawa Hiroshi
Production Company: Ghostsoup

Youth (Israel) 
Director: Tom Shoval
Producer: Gal Greenspan
Production Company: GREEN productions