Hong Kong International Film Festival Society’s (HKIFF) Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has unveiled a slate of 25 in-development projects for its 23rd edition, with renowned auteur Kore-eda Hirokazu among the heavyweight filmmakers backing emerging talent.
Among the highlights is “Yellow,” directed by newcomer Yamaura Miyoh and produced by Kore-eda. The film follows a man living in self-punishment after a fatal car accident who finds redemption through his relationship with his deceased friend’s young son.
The selection showcases several established filmmakers nurturing new voices. Sylvie Pialat and Nai An are backing Hu Wei’s “49 Days,” about a divorced Chinese couple reuniting in Paris to arrange their son’s funeral. Aditya Vikram Sengupta is producing Niladri Mukherjee’s debut “Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment,” which examines India’s majority rule issues through the story of a single mother who becomes her housing estate’s public enemy after flagging a malfunctioning elevator.
The selection features several sci-fi entries. Wang Kunlin’s “2181 Overture,” adapted from Chinese writer Gu Shi’s Hugo Award-shortlisted novelette, follows a scientist who awakens from cryogenic hibernation to search for her lost daughter through a book she left behind. Sun Xiao’s “Somatization” depicts residents of a town filled with petrochemical plants transforming into monsters after a mysterious explosion.
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The lineup also features dramatic entries: Fan Ka Chun’s “Something in the Way” follows a face-blind detective confronting repressed memories of his missing mother, while Edmund Yeo’s “The Age of Goodbyes” explores complicated relationships between a woman, her stepdaughter, and the latter’s new lover in 1970s Malaysia. Bill Chia’s “Indigo Boy,” produced by Yeh Ju-Feng, tackles depression through the story of two close friends struggling with mental illness, where one only comes to life when the other disappears.
Jun Robles Lana returns with “The Circumciser,” about a 16-year-old boy in 1920s U.S.-ruled Philippines who aspires to study English rather than succeed his father as their village’s lone circumciser. Zheng Lu Xinyuan’s “A Stranger at My Door,” produced by Stanley Kwan, follows an amateur film director finding solace in a French composer while preparing a film about her mother’s sexual abuse.
Other notable projects include Chan Sileong’s “Waves Under the Sea,” an LGBTQ+ drama about two boys growing up by the seaside whose life choices drive them apart, and Saurav Rai’s “Lanka,” a psychological revenge drama where a karate drill gone wrong escalates into a cycle of vengeance between two families.
The three-day event, running March 17-19 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre alongside FilMart, continues to cement its position as one of Asia’s leading film project markets. According to HKIFF industry director Jacob Wong, HAF23 received 276 submissions from 45 countries and regions, from Hong Kong to Thailand, Turkey, Kazakhstan and South Korea.
“Those shortlisted are remarkable for their cultural diversity. They showcase extraordinary storytelling in a broad range of genres, from action to sci-fi, fantasy, suspense, and horror,” Wong said. “There are nine projects from female directors this year, as well as several collaborations involving filmmakers from Asia, Europe, and North America, underscoring Hong Kong’s position at the crossroads of the global film industry.”
Wong announced that this year’s HKIFF Industry Project Market will feature several animation projects at different stages of development in a new standalone section, with those selections to be revealed in mid-February. At least 13 HAF 2025 projects have already secured partial funding, with budgets ranging from $200,000 to $5 million.
HAF 2025 In-Development Projects
“2181 Overture” (China, Canada)
Director: Wang Kunlin
Producer: Zhao Zheyuan
Production Company: Yeahcheer Pictures Co.
“49 Days” (France, China)
Director: Hu Wei
Producers: Sylvie Pialat, Nai An
Production Company: Les films du Worso
“Aanaikatti Blues” (India)
Director: Arun Karthick
Producer: Madhu Mohan
Production Company: Manvasanai Cinema
“The Age of Goodbyes” (Taiwan, Malaysia)
Director: Edmund Yeo
Producers: David Tang, Edmund Yeo, Dennis Lai, Zhao Jin
Production Companies: Renaissance Films Limited, Happy Together Pictures
“Besik. Homecoming” (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan)
Director: Iskandar Usmonov
Producers: Diana Ashimova, Yerlan Ibragim, Iskandar Usmonov
Production Company: A Team
“The Bird Chaser” (China)
Director: Zeng Zhi
Producers: Li Tianyu, Joey Zhu Yinying
Production Company: Beijing Pinwu Cultural Communication Co., Ltd.
“The Circumciser” (Philippines)
Director: Jun Robles Lana
Producers: Perci Intalan, Ferdy Lapuz
Production Company: The IdeaFirst Company
“Dead Tide” (Malaysia)
Director: Kethsvin Chee
Producers: Lee Sinje, Jin Ong
Production Company: Fast Forward Films Sdn Bhd
“Drive South Pray West” (Thailand)
Directors: Panu Aree, Kong Rithdee
Producer: Panu Aree
Production Company: Drive South Pray West Pictures
“Giant Salamander” (China)
Director: Yang Heng
Producer: Yang Heng
Production Company: Xiangxi Meixi Space Culture Media Co.
“Gone with the Wind” (China)
Director: Zhao Yanming
Producer: Aubrey Zheng Liyan
Production Company: Beijing Daxiwang Culture Media Co., Ltd.
“Indigo Boy” (Taiwan)
Director: Bill Chia
Producers: Yeh Ju-Feng, Ivy Y.H. Chiang
Production Company: Fragrant Creative Integration Co., Ltd.
“Innocent Flesh” (China)
Director: Lin Yihan
Producers: Li Yuwen, Hattie Yu
Production Company: Vast Vista Films
“Lanka” (India)
Director: Saurav Rai
Producers: Saurav Rai, Ankita Purkayastha
Production Company: Neonate Audio LLP
“Mabui” (Japan)
Director: Fukunaga Takeshi
Producers: Yamaguchi Shin, Eric Nyari
Production Companies: Knockonwood Inc., Cineric Creative
“Open Fire” (Hong Kong)
Directors: Sze Pak-lam, Lau Wing-tai
Producer: Ivan Wong
Production Company: Scene One Picture Limited
“Pivot” (Turkey)
Director: Melisa Önel
Producer: Alara Hamamcioğlu Bayraktar
Production Company: Vigo Film
“Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment” (India)
Director: Niladri Mukherjee
Producers: Aditya Vikram Sengupta, Priyankar Patra
Production Company: For Films
“See You There” (China, Hong Kong)
Director: Wong Yi-kwan
Producers: Wang Hongwei, Song Dafa
Production Company: Beijing Density Blue Film and Television Company
“Seoulers” (South Korea, USA)
Directors: Hee Young Pyun, Jiajun Oscar Zhang
Producers: Heejung Oh, Huang Yue, Christine Shen
Production Company: Seesaw Pictures
“Somatization” (China)
Director: Sun Xiao
Producers: Wang Hongwei, Song Dafa, Lyu Hang
Production Company: Beijing Granary Film Culture Co., Ltd.
“Something in the Way” (Hong Kong)
Director: Fan Ka-chun
Producer: Lam Suk-yin
Production Company: Loudprovision
“A Stranger at My Door” (Hong Kong, China)
Director: Zheng Lu Xinyuan
Producer: Stanley Kwan Kam-pang
Production Company: N/A
“Waves Under the Sea” (Macau, Hong Kong, China)
Director: Chan Sileong
Producers: Chan Hing-kai, Robin Yung
Production Company: N/A
“Yellow” (Japan)
Director: Yamaura Miyoh
Producers: Kore-eda Hirokazu, Ohinata Jun
Production Company: Bunbuku