Eye Catcher Global 2024 has opened a call for film projects to enter its Industry Screening – Asian New Director Award, which presents a cash prize of $12,800 (HK$100,000) to a project from an Asian director.
Industry Screening is a pilot programme with competition and non-competition sessions, showcasing a wide range of Asian independent film projects before premiere to industry insiders.
The Asian New Director Award is seeking first cuts of feature-length first and second projects from across Asia, with the submissions deadline set for March 29, 2024. Screenings of the films will not be open to the public. Jury members will include curators and programmers from major international funds and film festivals.
Based in Hong Kong, Eye Catcher Global is supported by Hong Kong’s Renaissance Foundation. The 2024 edition of the event is scheduled to take place June 19-23 in Hong Kong, and will encompass an International Pitching Forum, Industry Screening, Industry Forum and other networking events.
The event is also currently recruiting film projects for the International Pitching Forum, which focuses on projects from Hong Kong filmmakers or with Hong Kong elements in the story.
The forum has four categories: In-Development Projects (Short), Work-in-Progress Projects (Short), In-Development Projects (Feature-Length) and Work-in-Progress Projects (Feature-Length). International and local jury members will select one winner from each category.
The first edition of Eye Catcher Global took place in Hong Kong in June 2023 with industry delegates including representatives from Sundance film festival, Thailand’s Purin Pictures, Singapore’s 13 Little Pictures, Indonesia’s Minikino short film festival organisation and filmmakers including Nepal’s Min Bahadur Bham. A total of six film projects were granted cash prizes totalling $28,000 (HK$220,000).
Founded in 2012, Renaissance Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to nurturing upcoming generations of young creative talent across independent music, film, creative writing and multi-disciplinary arts. In addition to Eye Catcher Images, the foundation’s projects include Ear Up Music, Story Unboxed, Frontline Fellowship and Renaissance Summer Camp.