HKIFF Collection has added Tokyo’s competition title Who Were We? by Tetsuya Tomina to its sales catalogue through its new sales representative Monar Films.
HKIFF Collection has picked up worldwide rights to the Japanese film, excluding Japan, which is set to have its world premiere in the main competition at the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival (October 23-November 1).
Set in a gold-mining town on Sado Island, the film explores the relationship between a night guard and a female cleaner who have no memory of their past. The cast is headed by Matsuda Ryuhei (Before We Vanish) and Komatsu Nana (Moonlight Shadow). Director Tomina’s feature debut Blue Wind Blows played in Berlinale’s Generation section in 2018.
Who Were We? marks the first title of Monar Films since the Beijing-based sales company headed by Song Yiran became the international sales representative for HKIFF Collection. Monar Films has sold all mainland China rights to Beijing Jungle Jim Culture Media.
HKIFF Collection comes under the umbrella of Hong Kong International Film Festival’s HKIFF Industry and is a label to support independent titles in festival and international distribution. Previous titles in its catalogue include Sakahara Atsushi’s Me And The Cult Leader, Tan Chui Mui’s Barbarian Invasion and Stonewalling by Huang Ji and Ryuji Otsuka.
HKIFF is the organiser of the various Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) strands that run alongside Hong Kong Filmart.
Who Were We?, the second feature of director Tomina, has been supported by HAF since its development stage when it was selected for HAF in 2018. It returned to HAF for its work-in-progress section this year where it won a place for the HAF Goes to Cannes programme.
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