Six Chinese-language genre projects have been unveiled by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, which has partnered with talent agency CAA China on an initiative to develop fresh titles.
Titled HKIFF Industry - CAA China Genre Initiative (shortened as HCG), the scheme will showcase the projects to an industry audience at Filmart and the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), which runs March 11-13.
The selection includes Call Of Lobster, directed by Yin Chen-Hao and produced by Cheng Wei-Hao and Jin Pai-Lunn, who previously worked together on Taiwanese smash hit Man In Love. This comedy drama is drawn from the extraordinary true story of a lobster farmer who travelled overseas to share his unique techniques.
Comedy drama Dying Fire is from director Gao Linyang of Rotterdam award-winning To Love Again and producer Guan Hu (The Eight Hundred) and follows a miner and an accountant who attempt to retrieve their stolen money by setting up a fake bank.
Hyperinflation from director Yan Bing (160 Years Old) and producers Li Xiaoyuan and Shan Zuolong (both behind The Water Murmurs, winner of Cannes’ Short Film Palme d’Or), is a drama about an archaeologist who grapples with her missing husband’s financial debts, while uncovering the mystery of an ancient female corpse.
A trio of the shortlisted HCG projects are feature debuts. Countdown To The End by Wang Hao of award-winning short Brad Lee is an action-packed suspense drama about a shopping mall security guard who is forced to play a cat and mouse game with a mysterious caller, all in a race to save innocent lives and seek redemption.
Further first feature HCG projects include Rowena Loh’s Reunion Diaries, produced by Jean Yeo (Last Madame: Sisters Of The Night series) and Taiwanese actor James Wen as a Lunar New Year romantic comedy dealing with the highs and lows of love across New York, Singapore, Taipei and Hong Kong; and Scriptures And Poetry by editor-turned-director Du Junlin and producer Li Xiaoyuan (The Water Murmurs), a comedy about an elderly film director who embarks on a journey with his elderly scriptwriter to find inspirations for a romance film.
Two HCG projects will each be awarded a cash prize of $20,000 as part of their development fund, as well as receiving customised guidance from script mentors. CAA China may also enter script development agreements with the winning projects. CAA China was established in 2017 by Hollywood entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), in partnership with China’s CMC Capital Partners.
The new initiative was launched last August to support the growth and development of Chinese-language genre projects. It will come under the banner of the newly expanded HKIFF Industry Project Market, which will also incorporate the 22nd edition of HAF.
Last week, 26 in-development HAF projects were announced and further work-in-progress projects are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Previous HAF projects are premiering this month: Lin Jianjie’s Brief History Of A Family is running in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance before receiving its European premiere at the Berlinale, while The Cursed Land by Panu Aree and Kong Rithdee is heading to International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
HCG 2024 projects
Call Of Lobster
Dir. Yin Chen-Hao
Pros. Jin Pai-Lunn, Cheng Wei-Hao
Prodco. Calendar Studios
Countdown To The End
Dir. Wang Hao
Pro. Wang Hao
Prodco. Beijing YH Film
Dying Fire
Dir. Gao Linyang
Pro. Guan Hu
Prodco. The Seventh Art Pictures (Shanghai)
Hyperinflation
Dir. Yan Bing
Pros. Li Xiaoyuan, Shan Zuolong, Du Liwei
Prodco. Monologue Films (Shanghai)
Reunion Diaries
Dir. Rowena Loh
Pro. Jean Yeo, James Wen
Prodcos. Ochre Pictures, Liu-Yu Entertainment
Scriptures And Poetry
Dir. Du Junlin
Pro. Li Xiaoyuan
Prodco. Eye Cutting Room
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