The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) today unveils the lineup for its 19th edition (HAF19), with 29 projects from established Asian directors and producers such as HUR Jin-Ho, KAWASE Naomi, NING Hao, OGIGAMI Naoko, WANG Bing, YEE Chih-Yen, emerging filmmakers like CAI Chengjie, Oliver CHAN, Roya SADAT, YANG Mingming, as well as nine first-feature directors.
Returning to its regular March slot, HAF19 will run concurrently with the 25th Hong Kong Filmart (FILMART) from 15 to 17 March. It will again take place online following HAF's first-ever virtual edition held in August 2020.
“Despite the challenging circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, HAF remains strongly committed to filmmakers,” HAF director Jacob WONG said. “We will have our dedicated online meeting platform this year for accredited HAF and FILMART participants to schedule and conduct meetings directly. It's hassle-free and user-friendly, requiring no download or additional log-on.”
HAF19 selected the 29 projects, including nine documentaries, from 321 submissions from 80 countries and regions. Early next month, HAF19 will announce additional projects chosen for its Work-in-Progress (WIP) section which targets filmmakers seeking post-production fundings, distribution opportunities and festival support. Together, these projects will be eligible for HAF19's 17 awards, with a combined cash and in-kind value of HK$1,200,000 (approximately US$157,000). Please refer to Appendix 1 for a full list of the awards and sponsors.
The highlights of some of HAF19's shortlisted projects are as follows:
Hong Kong:
Hong Kong promises a strong lineup of six projects, the majority of which are by woman directors. In Her Lullaby, Oliver CHAN tackles motherhood's challenges after her critically-acclaimed debut Still Human. Renowned TVC director Susie AU returns to the big-screen with HERs, in which a dying photographer takes her actress friend on a journey to discover the hidden past. Teaming up with producer Teresa KWONG (Suk Suk), media executive Bud-ming aims to make her directorial debut with The Way We AD, a documentary tracing the Hong Kong advertising industry's development since the 1970s. Another debutant joining them is last year's HAF Film Lab winner, HO Ching-yi, telling the story of how a middle-aged man bonds with his mother through marathon running in Hit the Wall.
China:
With eight shortlisted projects, China is well-represented at HAF19. Among them, CAI Chengjie, the winner of the Rotterdam Tiger Award with The Widowed Witch, brings Splash, an edgy, sexual assault drama. Girls Always Happy director YANG Mingming presents Getting Nowhere, focusing on a woman who travels on the road with her truck-driving husband. LIU Hao (The Poet) follows three generations of a Tajik family in the Xinjiang-set Soft Whispers Over Time. NING Hao (Dying To Survive) will produce XU Lei's The Peacemaker, which tells the story of a villager acting as a mediator to settle private disputes.
India and Afghanistan:
India has a significant presence, too, with six projects. They include Birthmark, by Labour Of Love director Aditya Vikram SENGUPTA, which explores the present-day Hindu-Muslim tension. Rishi CHANDNA plans to make his feature debut with The Catch, a comedy-drama about a fisherman who makes a fortune with his catch, with Dina DATTANI (Hotel Salvation) producing. Meanwhile, Afghan director Roya SADAT (A Letter To The President) examines two women's friendship in pre-civil war Afghanistan in The Forgotten History.
Taiwan and Southeast Asia:
TSAO Shih-Han's feature debut Beautiful Days In The South, another winner of last year's HAF Film Lab, is a coming-of-age drama set in 1996 amid Taiwan's missile crisis, with YEE Chih-Yen (Blue Gate Crossing) attached as a producer. From Indonesia is 108 Days by Lucky KUSWANDI (Madame X), tracking the police detention of a French-Canadian teacher accused of sexually assaulting his young charge. Joining them is the Philippines' Alistaire Christian “Zurich” CHAN, whose Cangrejos recounts the fight for survival on a small island by a father, a crab catcher, and a young daydreamer.
Japan and South Korea:
HAF19 will feature two projects from Japan. Blind Forest, by Close-Knit director OGIGAMI Naoko, is set in a special facility where women gather to create Braille texts as a healing process for their dark past. MURASE Daichi's Nara-set Beyond The Fog, which will be produced by KAWASE Naomi, is about a boy who is the first baby born in his remote village for over two decades. Korean director HUR Jin-Ho (The Last Princess) examines two brothers who have to confront each other when their children are involved in a murder in The Dinner.
Documentaries:
HAF19 features nine documentaries covering a broad and diverse range of topics. There are four projects from India, including Vikram DASGUPTA's Vrindavan: City Of Widows, which documents three banished women who seek refuge in the holy city of Vrindavan. In Tushar MADHAV's Another World, animation and documentary combine to explore the enigma of the suicide of the iconic Indian painter Jangarh Singh Shyam. Other documentary projects include Arun BHATTARAI's Gross National Happiness, which looks at how Bhutan shapes its national identity based on happiness. Meanwhile, renowned Chinese documentarian WANG Bing examines the African community's harsh living conditions in Guangzhou, China, in I Come From Ikotun, with Isabelle GLACHANT producing.
For more info please go to the Official website
Full list of the HAF19 awards and sponsors
With the generous support of stakeholders, partners and sponsors, HAF will present a total of 17 cash and in-kind prizes, worth approximately HK$1,200,000 (about US$ 157,000).
HAF Fiction Awards
presented by Create Hong Kong, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and HAF
Two HAF fiction projects – one from Hong Kong and one from outside of Hong Kong – will receive a cash prize of HK$100,000 each (about US$12,900) for their originality and creativity.
HAF Documentary Awards
presented by Create Hong Kong, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and HAF
Two HAF documentary projects – one from Hong Kong and one from outside of Hong Kong – will receive a cash prize of HK$100,000 each (about US$12,900) for their originality and creativity.
WIP Fiction Award
presented by Create Hong Kong, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and HAF
One WIP fiction project will receive a cash award of HK$78,000 (approximately US$10,000) for its originality and creativity. All WIP fiction projects are eligible for this award.
WIP Documentary Award
presented by Create Hong Kong, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and HAF
One WIP documentary project will receive a cash award of HK$78,000 (approximately US$10,000). All WIP documentary projects are eligible for this award which aims to encourage and promote documentary filmmaking.
Heaven Pictures Young Director Award
presented by Heaven Pictures (HK) Culture & Media
Representatives of Heaven Pictures (HK) Culture and Media will select one HAF project as the recipient of a cash award of HK$150,000 (approximately US$19,350). This award aims to encourage young Hong Kong directors to create local-themed projects with unique personal style.
Udine Focus Asia Award
presented by Udine Far East Film Festival
Representatives of the Udine Far East Film Festival would select one HAF project to participate in its project market, Focus Asia. The in-kind award is worth Euro 7,000 (approximately HK$62,000), comprising of a round-trip air ticket and hotel accommodation for the director and hotel accommodation for the producer. This award aims to encourage and facilitate co-production between Asia and Europe.
Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award
presented by Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Representatives of Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival will select one HAF project to participate in its project market, Network of Asian Fantastic Films. The in-kind award is worth US$2,700 (approximately HK$21,000), comprising of one round-trip ticket and hotel accommodation.
Cinerent Award
presented by Cinerent Beijing Ltd
Representatives of Cinerent Beijing will select one HAF project with plans to shoot in mainland China as the recipient of an in-kind award of RMB 150,000 (approximately HK$175,000) in equipment rental and services.
White Light Post-Production Award
presented by White Light Studio
To promote cinematic innovation and promising Asian directors, White Light Studio offers two in-kind awards of US$15,000 (approximately HK$117,300) to one HAF project and one WIP project each. The recipients will receive post-production services at White Light's facilities in Bangkok, Thailand.
HAF Goes to Cannes Programme
presented by HAF and Marché du Film
In collaboration with Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes, HAF will invite up to five WIP projects for market screening presentation and pitching at the Cannes Film Festival. This programme aims to facilitate projects already in production to secure post-production funding, sales agents and film-festival support.
Full list of the HAF19 Projects
Documentaries
Afloat by Arkus – India
Another World by Tushar MADHAV – India
Gross National Happiness by Arun BHATTARAI – Bhutan
I Come from Ikotun by WANG Bing – France, Hong Kong
The Baby Carriers by CHEN Lingwei – USA
The Sinking Island by Sourav SARANGI – India
The Way We AD by Bud-ming – Hong Kong
Vrindavan: City of Widows by Vikram DASGUPTA – India, Canada, New Zealand
When Clouds Gather by Clarissa ZHANG – China
Fictional features
108 Days by Lucky KUSWANDI – Indonesia
All About My Father by HU Guo – China
Beautiful Days in the South by TSAO Shih-Han – Taiwan
Beyond the Fog by MURASE Daichi – Japan
Birthmark by Aditya Vikram SENGUPTA – India
Blind Forest by OGIGAMI Naoko – Japan
Cangrejos by Zurich CHAN – The Philippines
Donna, Donna by QI Rui – China
Getting Nowhere by YANG Mingming – China
Her Lullaby by Oliver CHAN – Hong Kong
HERs by Susie AU – Hong Kong
Hit the Wall by HO Ching-yi – Hong Kong
Love to Bits by WONG Wan-sze – Hong Kong
Soft Whispers Over Time by LIU Hao – China
Splash by CAI Chengjie – China
Sunfire by YANG Rui – China
The Catch by Rishi CHANDNA – India
The Dinner by HUR Jin-Ho – South Korea
The Forgotten History by Roya SADAT – Afghanistan
The Peacemaker by XU Lei – Chin
