Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFF Society) and CAA China have selected six projects for their joint HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative (HCG), designed to foster Chinese-language genre films.
The six projects, budgeted between US$1.5m and US$5.5m, will be showcased at the upcoming Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF, March 11-13) where they are looking for funds, and in some cases co-producers. The line-up includes three feature debuts and projects produced by leading filmmakers such as Guan Hu, Cheng Wei-Hao and Jean Yeo.
CAA China will provide a cash award of US$20,000 each to two handpicked projects to support their development, along with customised guidance from mentors. CAA China may board the winning projects later by entering into script development agreements.
HKIFF Industry-CAA China Genre Initiative (HCG) 2024:
*First Feature Director
Call Of Lobster (Mandarin, Taiwanese, Korean)
Comedy, Drama
Director: Yin Chen-Hao
Producer: Jin Pai-Lunn, Cheng Wei-Hao
Production Company: Calendar Studios
SYNOPSIS: Yung-Fu, a dedicated lobster farmer, has always held onto the belief that he would eventually succeed. One day, a news story catches his eye: A North Korean official has been executed for failing to farm lobsters for Kim Jong-Un. Yung-Fu knows his time has come—seeing this as a great opportunity to make a name for himself, and build a lobster empire: he will bring his lobster farming techniques to North Korea. Yung-Fu ignores all warnings and decides to take the risk. Little does he know that the journey back home will be even more treacherous than his initial venture.
Countdown To The End (Putonghua) *
Action, Drama, Suspense
Director: Wang Hao
Producer: Wang Hao
Production Company: Beijing YH Film Co
SYNOPSIS: David, a Chinese security guard working at a shopping mall in Southeast Asia, receives a mysterious phone call that initiates a deadly game. The caller vows to commit numerous crimes over the next few hours. During the game, no one is allowed to leave the mall or call the police. Now David must find the terrorising caller. A successful capture will not only result in the saving of many innocent lives, but also David’s own redemption.
Dying Fire (Shanxi Dialect, Putonghua)
Drama, Suspense, Comedy
Director: Gao Linyang
Producer: Guan Hu
Production Company: The Seventh Art Pictures (Shanghai) Co
SYNOPSIS: Intending to recover his father’s medical compensation and his wages from the accountant Qin Hong, Ma Baoguo, a miner, accidentally breaks into the town’s rural credit cooperative bank. When Ma conceives the idea of robbery, he unexpectedly finds out about the bank’s forgery. He and Qin thus improvise on the opportunity to cheat back their own money from the mine manager.
Hyperinflation (Putonghua)
Drama, Suspense, Thriller
Director: Yan Bing
Producer: Li Xiaoyuan, Shan Zuolong, Du Liwei
Production Company: Monologue Films (Shanghai)
SYNOPSIS: Archaeologist Ji Zhou finds herself deep in debt when her husband mysteriously disappears. Delving into the matter, she descends into the complex world of high-stakes finance that left her husband battered and bruised. A series of accidents bring her to a close brush with death, while all evidences point towards her husband to be the prime suspect. Meanwhile, her in-laws appear to be covering up the identity and cause of death of Wang, an ancient corpse laid in the noble Southern Song tomb she’s excavating. Will Ji escape a fate mirroring Wang’s?
Reunion Diaries (Mandarin, English, Cantonese, Hokkien) *
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director: Rowena Loh
Producer: Jean Yeo, James Wen
Production Company: Ochre Pictures, Liu-Yu Entertainment
SYNOPSIS: Against the festive backdrop of Lunar New Year, Reunion Diaries is a heartwarming rom-com drama weaving four captivating stories across four cities as the intertwined characters navigate relationship complexities. In New York, 1990s Mandopop icon Alex embarks on an unexpected self-discovery journey while seeking his longlost love. Enroute to Singapore, Chloe, grieving her father’s loss, meets a stranger who unravels years of emotional baggage. In Taipei, Si Hui’s marriage to best friend Wei Qian’s younger brother faces a test. Jia Lu, a Taiwanese working in Hong Kong clashes with a sharp-tongued food delivery rider, who eventually helps regain her footing.
Scriptures And Poetry (Putonghua, Cantonese, Swedish) *
Comedy, Romance
Director: Du Junlin
Producer: Li Xiaoyuan
Production Company: Eye Cutting Room
SYNOPSIS: Provoked by his wife, Chen Jing, who says he knows little about love, 64-year-old director Lin Nianjing decides to make a romance movie. He hits the road with longtime friend and seasoned screenwriter Du Dusi, making a trip back to Guangzhou from Hong Kong. The journey, peppered with comical and heartfelt encounters, turns out to be more than a search for movie inspiration. As the pieces of the past slowly come together, the image of Chen Jing becomes ever more vivid before them.