Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF): Call for Project Submissions (from now until 15 October 2012)

Organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) and running concurrently with the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), the Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) is Asia's premier project market designed to connect Asian filmmakers with upcoming film projects with internationally prominent film financiers, producers, bankers, distributors, buyers, and funders for co-production ventures. The HAF is the ideal venue for discovering and investing in emerging Asian talent, and for first-look opportunities of their latest projects.

Past participants have included Chinese mainland's Gu Changwei, Jia Jiangke, Jiang Wen, Li Yang and Ning Hao, Hong Kong's Stanley Kwan, Ann Hui, Gordon Chan, Pang Ho-Cheung and Peter Chan, Taiwan's Tsai Ming-Liang, Wei Te-Sheng and Yee Chih-Yen, Japan's SABU, Nakata Hideo, Otani Kentaro, Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Miike Takashi, Iwai Shunji and Yukisada Isao, Korea's Kim Jee-woon, Park Chan-wook, E J-Yong, IM Sang-Soo, Hur Jin-Ho and Jeon Soo-il as well as Thailand's Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, Nonzee Nimibutr and Pen-ek Ratanaruang.

From now until 15 October 2012, the 11th HAF will accept applications for its three initiatives, namely 2013 HAF Project Entry (for which feature and documentary projects are both eligible), the HAF/FOX Chinese Film Development Award, and the HAF Script Development Fund. 25 to 30 projects will be selected, competing for cash awards of up to HK$500,000 (approximately US$64,100) Details of our selection criteria and submission requirements can be found in our official website at: http://www.haf.org.hk/haf/submission.htm.

Sharing from HAF alumni and past participants…

• Director Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japan) - “It was my great honour to participate in HAF. I was able to meet with the right people that developed my projects.”

•  Director Brillante Mendoza (The Philippines) - "HAF is a hub where creative and artistic minds in the film industry gather, while it serves as a haven for film marketers to select potential blockbusters. A meeting point in art and business."

• Producer Mynette Louie (USA) - “HAF is probably the best pan-Asian film financing forum. It’s a great place to get a quick overview of what the landscape of distribution and financing in Asia is like.”

• Daniel Guando, The Weinstein Company (USA) - “HAF is a great forum to connect talented filmmakers with the international film community. I’ve always found the projects to be very impressive, and the organization itself is extremely professional and helpful.”

•  Park Ju-young, Lotte Entertainment (South Korea) - “HAF is one of the most efficient and well-organized co-production markets in the world, and the projects are well balanced with the Chinese and non-Chinese ones, and we always find valuable ones at the HAF.”

For more details on the 11th HAF’s submission procedures, application eligibility and selection criteria, please visit

www.haf.org.hk or contact us via emai: haf@hkiff.org.hk