Dust To Dust

Source: One Cool Pictures

‘Dust To Dust’

Hong Kong’s One Cool Pictures is bringing Chinese crime thriller Dust To Dust to the Asian Contents & Film Market, returning to the Busan market as an exhibitor for the first time since the Covid pandemic.

The company has picked up international sales rights to feature excluding mainland China, where it topped the box office for 18 days and has grossed more than $60.5m (RMB473m), following its release on September 9.

The film received its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June, where it won a best actor award for Da Peng who plays a bank heist fugitive who went on the run for two decades. The feature is based on the true story of the largest armed robbery in China.

This mainland Chinese production has Hong Kong filmmakers in key creative positions, including director Jonathan Li, whose debut The Brink had its world premiere at Busan in 2017; producers Soi Cheang, director of Mad Fate, and Kevin Tse; DoP Tam Wai Kai and lead actor Lam Ka Tung (Limbo).

Wish (Suzhou) Culture Development and Beijing Nextra Fei Fan Pictures from China are among the major backers. The film will next open in Hong Kong through One Cool and in Malaysia through Shanghai Pictures, both on October 26. Shaw previously released the film in Singapore on September 28.

In addition, One Cool will present the new One Cool Award at the Asian Project Market (APM), the industry platform of ACFM. One winning project will receive a cash prize of $15,000.