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Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hong Kong's FilMart Gets Animated as More Toons Join Project Market Lineup
Asian animation continues to evolve and grow its profile on the global stage in both artistic and commercial terms. That is perhaps most evident at this year's Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum, where a half-dozen promising projects will be pitched to potential buyers, sellers and co-producers. A seventh animated project will also feature in this year's Indonesian spotlight. Held alongside FilMart, HAF received 60% more animated submissions than last year. This year's animation slate features industry veterans and newcomers alike, including acclaimed director Toe Yuen, who won the 2003 Annecy Cristal for best feature with 'My Life as McDull.' The following is an overview of the animated films at HAF. More from Variety Aaron Kwok Drama 'IOU' Unveiled by Distribution Workshop at Hong Kong FilMart 'Game of Thrones' Star Iain Glen Joins TBA Studios' Philippines Historical Biopic 'Quezon' (EXCLUSIVE) Venice Winner Aditya Vikram Sengupta Produces Hong Kong's HAF-Selected Indian Satirical Comedy-Drama 'Republic of Mahalaxmi Apartment' Cloud of the Unknown Director: Gao Yuan (Hong Kong, France) Based on Yuan's short of the same name and produced by Isabelle Glachant and Camille Li, this 2D feature is a surreal exploration of dreams and reality. Produced by Chinese Shadows and Shasha & Co. Production, the film follows Yun, a girl who vanishes into strange worlds when she falls asleep, and Sha, who dreams of being a paralyzed painter in a dystopian world. As their paths cross, they begin to question the nature of their existence. 'The encounter between Yun and Sha motivates them to explore themselves further,' said Yuan. Fly! Directors: Pelixiano Saputranovic, Ellen Xie (Indonesia) 'Fly!' is a tale set against the backdrop of Bali's spiritual landscape. Produced by ArtCodeStory and MOAI Entertainment, the film follows Wayan, a young Balinese boy who embarks on a mystical journey to reunite with his lost father. As he navigates the spirit world, Wayan faces a choice that could alter his destiny forever. 'In a world where so many have experienced loss and longing from separation, 'Fly!' is a reminder that love never truly fades — it simply transforms,' said Saputranovic. The film is currently in development, with an estimated finish date of 2027. Light Pillar Director: Xu Zao (China) Produced by Da Peng and Lu Xiaowei, 'Light Pillar' is a story set in a nearly deserted film studio that mixes live action and animated sequences. Lao Cha, a janitor, finds companionship in a stray cat and befriends a woman named Li in a virtual world, only to discover that Li is actually a 10-year-old boy. Produced by Fengduan Film, the film explores themes of love, happiness and cycles of renewal. 'Love and happiness sometimes need to be pursued, but more often, they need to be discovered,' said Zao, who previously won DOK Leipzig's Golden Dove for a feature with 'No Changes Have Taken in Our Life.' A Mighty Adventure Director: Toe Yuen (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia) Keeping up with a resurgent dialogue-free trend in top animation — think Oscar-winner 'Flow' and nominee 'Robot Dreams' — action-packed comedy 'A Mighty Adventure' follows three insects — a grasshopper, spider and butterfly — as they navigate a vast concrete jungle. Produced by Zero One Film and Flystudio, the film blends live-action footage with CG insects to create a raw yet enchanting visual experience. 'This isn't just a visual experiment — it's a universal, entertaining ride for all ages,' said former Annecy winner Yuen. The film is currently in post-production and should be finished by summer. MIN Director: Li Jiajia (China) 'MIN' delves into the silent struggles of its titular character as she navigates the complexities of marriage and motherhood. Produced by the China Academy of Art, School of Animation and Games, the film explores the delicate balance between personal desires and societal expectations. 'The movie uses animation, a medium most distant from 'reality,' to present a story with a strong sense of realism,' said Li Jiajia, who previously served as art director on the Berlin competition player 'Art College 1994.' Wildheart Director: Marceau Nakayama (France, Belgium, Japan) 'Wildheart,' co-written by Nakayama and John A. Scott, is a Showa-era family drama set in late 1960s Tokyo. Produced by Keytales Studio in France and Forerunner Films in Belgium, the story revolves around Makoto, an 11-year-old girl who cares for her younger brother Kenta. As they search for their mother, Makoto grapples with the guilt of hiding a crucial piece of information from Kenta. 'Wildheart' employs a unique CineMation approach, blending live-action storytelling with the visual freedom of animation. Nakayama described the film as a fusion of Japanese and international cinema sensibilities, resulting in a distinct and original narrative. The Tale of the Holy Beast Director: Triparna Maiti (India) Produced by Bejon K Vinod, 'The Tale of the Holy Beast' is a heart-wrenching story of a young elephant calf who loses his herd to poachers and is subsequently sold to various owners throughout his life. Produced by FAEM, the film explores the bond between humans and animals through the lens of captivity. 'Using animation, we are exploring the wild emotions and complexities of captivity,' said Maiti. The project is currently in development, with an estimated finish date of October 2028. 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Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hong Kong Market Expands With Animation, Indonesian Showcases
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has rounded out its 2025 HKIFF Industry Project Market with eight new titles, bringing the total to 48 projects, the highest in recent years. The expansion includes six animation features and two Indonesian projects, bolstering the market's presence in Asian film development. Set to run March 17-19 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre alongside FilMart, the market has seen a 60% jump in animation submissions compared to last year. The animation slate features both industry veterans and emerging talents, including Hong Kong director Toe Yuen ('My Life as McDull,' 2003 Annecy best film winner) whose 'A Mighty Adventure' (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia) was shot live in Taiwan with 90% of computer animation completed in Malaysia. More from Variety Fan Bingbing, Lee Kang-Sheng Star as Hong Kong's HAF Unveils 15 Work-in-Progress Projects, Alumni Head to Berlin Animation Industry Coalition to Launch Wildfire Fundraiser at Annie Awards Kore-eda Hirokazu, High-Profile Asian Filmmakers Back New Wave of Hong Kong HAF Projects Among the other works-in-progress are China's 'Min' by Li Jiajia, a professor at the School of Animation and Games of the China Academy of Art, with Liu Jian producing (whose 'Have a Nice Day' and 'Art College 1994' both competed at Berlin), and 'Wildheart' (France, Belgium, Japan) from Tokyo-born Marceau Nakayama, produced by Justin Ambrosino. The development slate includes Kunming-born artist Gao Yuan's 'Cloud of the Unknown' (Hong Kong, France), backed by producer Isabelle Glachant. Gao's previous short of the same name premiered at Locarno 2020, winning the Arte Laguna prize. Mumbai-based Triparna Maiti brings 'The Tale of the Holy Beast' (India), which previously pitched at Annecy's Mifa market, the Busan Asian Project Market and Seattle's Tasveer Film Market. Her 2022 diploma film 'Water' screened at Anifilm and Monstra. Rounding out the animation slate is Xu Zao's 'Light Pillar' (China), produced by actor-director Da Peng. Xu's 43-minute animation 'No Changes Have Taken in Our Life' previously nabbed the Golden Dove at DOK Leipzig. 'Outstanding animated projects from previous HAF editions, such as Liu Jian's second Berlinale entry, 'Art College 1994,' and Yee Chih-yen's Golden Horse Award winner, 'City of Lost Things,' have instilled in us the conviction to showcase and promote promising talents and projects through this new animation initiative,' said Jacob Wong, director of HKIFF Industry. The market is also launching Jakarta Film Week Projects, showcasing two Indonesian filmmakers. JFW Festival Director Rina Damayanti sees this collaboration as crucial for increasing Indonesian cinema's global visibility. Jakarta-born Chinese Indonesian filmmaker Jason Iskandar, whose debut 'Akhirat: A Love Story' ranked 15th at Indonesia's 2021 box office, brings 'First Breath After Coma,' produced by Florence Giovani Chandra and Shanty Harmayn. Game development veteran Pelixiano, with 18 years of industry experience, presents the animated 'Fly!' with producer Ellen Xie. The event runs concurrent with FilMart, the Asian film market that draws over 8,000 industry professionals annually. The region is currently buzzing with the success of Chinese animated sequel 'Ne Zha 2,' which released over the Lunar New Year holidays and has crossed $1.6 billion at the box office. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win? What's Coming to Netflix in February 2025
