HAF reflects on indies

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Finance News

Twenty-two feature films and three documentaries will seek financing at the 11th Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) 香港亞洲電影投資會 (18-20 Mar 2013), part of the annual Entertainment Expo Hong Kong.

The selection includes five projects apiece from Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese directors. There are three projects by Thai directors and two apiece by film-makers from Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. There is one film apiece by film-makers from Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the UK.

In a statement, reading committee member Tim KWOK 郭少麟 drew particular attention to the Hong Kong selection as the highlight of this year's selection. The five films from Hong Kong film-makers include directorial debuts by LAM Suk-ching 林淑貞 and HO Hong 何康.

Mainland Chinese directors with projects include festival regulars WANG Bing 王兵 and PENG Tao 彭韜, newcomers ZHOU Hongbo 周洪波 and ZHAO Qing 趙青, and documentary film-maker FAN Jian 范儉, whose Running in the City 在城市裏奔跑 has investment from Busan's Asian Network of Documentary Fund.

The Thai-selection, which includes an omnibus, is a who's who of the country's independent film-makers including Apichatpong "Joe" WEERASETHAKUL อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล, Aditya ASSARAT อาทิตย์ อัสสรัตน์, Anocha SUWICHAKORNPONG อโนชา สุวิชากรพงษ์ and Sivaroj KONGSAKUL ศิวโรจณ์ คงสกุล.

The cinema of the Philippines is represented by Jun Robles LANA and Lawrence FAJARDO, both graduates of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Indonesia is represented by International Film Festival Rotterdam regulars Joko ANWAR and Ifa ISFANSYAH.

From Japan, YUKISADA Isao 行定勲 presents his first horror whilst KAWASE Naomi 河瀬直美 (pictured) presents a film about Amami islanders. Kawase also produces a new film by South Korea's JANG Keon-jae 장건재 | 張建宰. Also from South Korea is YOON Jong-bin 윤종빈 | 尹鐘彬's period action film Kundo: Age of the Rampant 군도.

Organisers stated that there were more than 250 submissions from 51 territories, representing a year-on-year growth of approximately 20%.

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