The Hong Kong Worldwide Movie Pageant Society has unveiled the second slate of tasks chosen for the twenty fourth Hong Kong-Asia Movie Financing Discussion board, spotlighting 12 work-in-progress titles that carry collectively Asian cinema heavyweights and promising new voices.
Set to be offered March 17-19 on the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Centre as a part of the HKIFF Trade Venture Market, the WIP lineup options established stars together with Nick Cheung Ka-fai, Chung Suet-ying, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Christine Hakim, Reza Rahadian and Anjali Patil. Veteran producer Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting is among the many notable names backing the tasks, which carry budgets of as much as $2.2 million every.
Seven of the 12 titles mark directorial debuts, with first-time filmmakers together with Arvin Belarmino, Shu Hui and Chahat Mansingka stepping behind the digicam. The tasks, largely in post-production, can be pitched alongside FilMart, now in its thirtieth version.
Cheung and Chung topline “Good Journey,” a comedy-drama directed by Norris Wong Yee-lam and Wong Hoi a few movie manufacturing assistant who embarks on an sudden journey together with her dying father to satisfy his remaining needs. Cheung Yuen-ting, whose credit embrace “Echoes of the Rainbow,” winner of the 2010 Berlinale Technology’s Crystal Bear, produces the Hong Kong challenge.
Indonesian stars Rahadian and Sastrowardoyo lead “The Sea Speaks His Title” (Laut Bercerita), a political drama monitoring a scholar activist whose Nineties disappearance leaves his household trying to find solutions. Yosep Anggi Noen directs from a script produced by Gita Fara, whose “Pangku” (On Your Lap), directed by Rahadian, gained at Busan in 2025.
Hakim portrays a mom determined to reconnect together with her daughter on loss of life row in Saudi Arabia in “My Mom,” directed by Eddie Cahyono, whose “Siti” claimed Indonesia’s Citra Award for Finest Movie in 2015. The Indonesia-Japan-Hong Kong co-production is produced by Tika Bravani and Isabelle Glachant.
Among the many debut options, Belarmino’s “Ria” follows a resort housekeeper main her punk neighborhood towards displacement whereas caring for her foster mom. The Philippines-Norway-Netherlands-Saudi Arabia co-production is produced by Kristine De Leon and Alemberg Ang. Belarmino’s quick “Agapito” competed at Cannes in 2025.
Taiwan’s Chin Chia-Hua, whose “Bother Woman” gained on the 2024 Golden Horse Awards, directs supernatural drama “A Ghost within the Market” a few murdered housewife who returns in her decaying physique to proceed her every day routine. The challenge beforehand participated in HAF Movie Lab in 2023 earlier than advancing to the in-development part.
Different titles embrace Zhang Tao’s “Farewell My Blue Chook,” exploring China’s rural youth by means of a girl who relocates to the town after her building employee husband is injured; Lu Po-Shun’s “Will You Nonetheless Be My Good friend,” a Taiwan-Singapore co-production about two 13-year-old boys whose friendship faces stress from their feuding households; and Ken Yang’s directing debut “A Vampire, Most likely,” a horror fantasy a few teenage assassin studying physique reconstruction at a funeral dwelling.
Mansingka’s “Like a Feather within the Wind,” set in Kolkata’s fading Chinatown, facilities on a lonely girl who begins seeing her late husband after her kids go away dwelling. Sailesh Rathnakumar, a sound engineer making his directorial debut, helms “Selvi,” with Patil starring as a migrant dwelling care nurse whose exhausting work schedule blurs boundaries.
Additionally within the lineup is “A Thousand Stars within the Galactic Night time,” directed by former editor Shu Hui. The sci-fi suspense movie stars Huang Yao and Bate’er Liu as an odd-job laborer who uncovers hidden truths following her boyfriend’s disappearance. Shu’s quick “Strolling with Her Into the Night time” competed in Cannes Critics’ Week in 2023.
Indonesian producer Meiske Taurisia, whose “Sleep No Extra,” directed by Edwin, screens in Berlinale Specials this 12 months, backs Ariani Darmawan’s debut “Jani Be Good,” a drama a few 13-year-old Chinese language Indonesian lady caught between her controlling mom and runaway sister.
The WIP tasks can be pitched March 17 on the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Centre’s Starlight Theatre, with groups presenting 10-minute first appears to trade attendees together with distributors, producers, buyers, pageant programmers and funding representatives.
HKIFFS beforehand revealed 17 in-development projects for HAF24 and can unveil chosen animation and style tasks subsequent week.
