The Hong Kong Trade Development Council's (HKTDC) Hong Kong International Film and Television Market (FILMART) promoted cross-regional exchanges this year, including cooperation between the HKTDC and Thailand, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other regions. Key production houses also leveraged the event’s platform to establish connections with potential partners and customers in overseas markets.
In a strategic partnership announcement, Alibaba Pictures announced on the event’s opening day that it will cooperate with several Hong Kong cultural and entertainment groups to launch Hong Kong Cultural & Art Industry Revitalisation Programme, committing to invest no less than HK$5 billion (US$639 million) over the next five years to reinforce collaboration with Hong Kong's cultural and entertainment industry.
Alibaba Pictures would also officially open a second headquarters in Hong Kong.
FILMART also saw expanded participation from ASEAN countries. The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy set up a country pavilion for the first time at FILMART to showcase their film and TV productions.
Exhibitor Indonesia Talamedia announced that it successfully sold the global rights of the film Crocodile Tears – co-produced with companies from Singapore, France and Germany – to Dubai distributor Cercamon for distribution.
KawanKawan Media, which won the Cannes Film Award, also announced that its latest production, Tales of the Land had completed principal photography and begun post-production.
The HKTDC signed memoranda of understanding with a number of organisations at FILMART, including the Department for International Trade Promotion (DITP), under Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce; the Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and the Shanghai Broadcasting, Film & Television Producers Association to promote cooperation and exchanges between Hong Kong and other regions.
In addition to the Thailand Pavilion, FILMART hosted a Thailand Day theme event, giving the Thai industry a chance to use the Hong Kong platform to promote Thai films and animation productions and boost the development film and television industry cooperation between the two.
The HTKDC and DITP also signed an MoU to strengthen business and trade exchange and cooperation in commodity and service trade in sectors, ranging from medicine to finance, IP management and licensing.
The Shanghai Showcase of Screen Productions at FILMART introduced new dramas co-produced in Shanghai and Hong Kong to people in the film and television industry from all over the world.
The Shanghai Broadcasting, Film & Television Producers Association and HKTDC signed an MoU at FILMART to deepen cultural and trade cooperation and exchanges between the cities. These include promoting film and television industry exchange mechanisms between the two and arranging joint film projects between film and television institutions in the two places.
The association will continue to promote Shanghai's film and television productions through the FILMART platform and gather Shanghai companies to participate in FILMART. The HKTDC will support Shanghai companies to establish connections with overseas companies and explore cooperation.
Hong Kong’s neighbour Guangzhou also made its mark at FILMART, setting up its first pavilion at FILMART. The Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and HKTDC signed the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Film and Television Industry Strategic MoU and this year.
The MoU aims to promote in-depth integration of the two parties in the film and television industry production chain. The two will establish a mechanism for high-level visits and meetings, and jointly plan and organise Guangzhou-Hong Kong film and television industry exchange activities, including seminars, forums and exhibitions, to promote exchanges and cooperation between the two places' film and television industries.
The authorities will organise more Guangzhou enterprises to participate in FILMART and explore the international market.
FILMART and the concurrent EntertainmentPulse attracted more than 7,500 industry participants from 50 countries and regions. Among them, the number of exhibitors and buyers from ASEAN countries increased significantly, up by 50% and 6%, respectively, compared with last year, underlining FILMART’s role as Asia's leading cross-media and cross-industry film and television entertainment trading platform and promoting Hong Kong as a centre for cultural and artistic exchanges between China and foreign countries.
This year’s FILMART has strengthened its online platform to promote exhibitors’ creative IP and provide professional business referral and matching. As of early March, more than 1,000 film and television entertainment works had been uploaded to the platform, solidifying Hong Kong as a regional IP trading centre. The FILMART online platform, which extends the physical exhibition, will remain open to the industry until 13 April.
