- More than 760 exhibitors have gathered from 34 countries and regions, forming over 30 regional pavilions with 7 new pavilions from Australia, Cambodia, France, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam
- New in 2025 is the Producers Connect programme featuring a series of events, fostering international collaboration and supporting up-and-rising Hong Kong producers
- Inaugural AI Hub pilot project showcasing innovative AI applications across the filmmaking process
- Ne Zha 2 production team sharing AI special effects experience
- The 23rd Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum sets record with 48 shortlisted projects, introducing new animation feature and Indonesian new director sections

HONG KONG, Mar 17, 2025 - (ACN Newswire) - The 29th Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) and EntertainmentPulse, coordinated by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today until 20 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, encompassing nine major entertainment events including FILMART and EntertainmentPulse, held its opening ceremony this afternoon at the FILMART venue. The ceremony was officiated by Eric Chan, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong SAR, Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, Yan Ni, Deputy Director General of International Cooperation Department of the National Radio and Television Administration, and Hong Kong entertainment ambassador Leon Lai. The Expo is co-organised by the HKTDC and sponsored by Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the Film Development Fund, and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.

Dr Lam said, "The Expo’s theme this year is Dare to Change, Dare to Excel. It offers nine engaging events covering film, television, music and digital entertainment, promoting cultural exchange and partnerships. A new addition this year, the Hong Kong Film Music Fiesta, will help strengthen connections between the film and music sectors. This will create more business opportunities, while showcasing Hong Kong’s film music culture and creativity to a wider audience."

Dr Lam continued: "This year’s FILMART is more international than ever, with over 760 exhibitors from 34 countries and regions. It remains Asia’s leading entertainment content marketplace. Together with our concurrent conference EntertainmentPulse, this dynamic platform helps industry players capture collaboration opportunities in the fast-changing world of film and entertainment."

FILMART gathers pavilions from over 30 countries and regions

This year's FILMART brings together exhibitors from 34 countries and regions, forming over 30 regional pavilions, demonstrating remarkable scale. New overseas pavilions include Australia, Cambodia, France, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. The event also welcomes first-time exhibitors from emerging markets such as Armenia, Czech Republic and Kazakhstan. The participation of ASEAN countries has also significantly increased, with over 100 exhibitors from seven ASEAN countries. Following the success of the Thai Day event at FILMART 2024, Thailand has returned with an expanded pavilion, further fostering creative industry collaboration and exchange between Hong Kong and Thailand.

Numerous Hong Kong film and entertainment organisations are also participating, including Emperor Motion Pictures, Media Asia, Golden Scene, Edko Films, Entertaining Power, Mei Ah Entertainment, and Muse Communication, who are launching their latest films and development plans to capitalise on opportunities from this annual event. RTHK, Television Broadcasts Limited and Makerville have also set up exhibition booths, whilst academic institutions including Hong Kong Baptist University and Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts are actively participating to jointly promote innovative development in local film and TV production.

Mainland China entertainment giants, who have been actively expanding into overseas markets in recent years, continue to demonstrate their prowess at FILMART.  Major film and entertainment platforms, such as Tencent Video, Bilibili, iQiyi and Alibaba Group, are presenting their latest content offerings and commercial initiatives.  Mainland provinces and cities including Guangdong, Zhejiang (Hangzhou, Ningbo, Hengdian and Huzhou), Jiangsu, Hubei, Beijing and Shanghai are organising regional pavilions, aiming to export more Chinese content to the world and facilitate Mainland China’s cultural industries to go international.

Producers Connect fosters exchange and collaboration among film producers

This year's FILMART introduces the inaugural Producers Connect programme - a collaborative effort between the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, Hong Kong Film Development Council, and HKTDC, providing a valuable network to connect producers from Hong Kong and around the globe. The programme encompasses a conference panel, fireside chats, workshops, group business matching and networking events.

The conference panel, namely “International Coproduction: Balancing Risks and Rewards”, has drawn several internationally renowned producers from different countries to share their experiences, including French producer Natacha Devillers, who currently works in mainland China, Korean producer Justin Kim, and Brazilian producers Gabriela Tocchio.  The Fireside Chat series will explore commercial opportunities across various markets, including emerging markets like Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, as well as oversea markets like the United Kingdom. The series also invite experienced speakers to share the potential and development for IP extension. Additionally, the programme includes group business matching sessions, facilitating more collaborations and support Hong Kong film industry in expanding global overseas market.

To further promote the development of creative intellectual property (IP), this year's FILMART launches an Online IP Catalogue showcasing more than 1,400 IPs from exhibitors, extending beyond the four-day physical event to 2-months. The catalogue facilitates buyers in discovering suitable projects while enabling exhibitors to explore potential collaboration. Additionally, the FilmArt Café will display artworks created by students from the Hong Kong Design Institute.  Inspired by characters and scenes of different Hong Kong movies, the display encourages youth creations and steers the industry to explore collaborations and extensions of IPs.

AI Hub pilot programme herald new era in the entertainment industry

The HKSAR Government is fully committed to developing artificial intelligence as a key industry, and this year's FILMART introduces the pioneering AI Hub pilot project, a joint initiative by the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals (AMP4), Movie Producers and Distributors Association of Hong Kong (MPDA), and HKTDC, showcasing how AI technology is revolutionising film and TV production.

The exhibition area features three themed zones: the Pre-production Zone, the Visual and Voiceprint Recognition Zone, and the Virtual Production Zone, where various technology companies showcase their innovative applications. Sony is presenting the innovative AI capabilities of its camera, whilst Lenovo demonstrates its "Digital Twins" solution merges 3D scanning, AI, and advanced generation technologies for the digital restoration of historic architecture.

The pilot project also receives support from academia, with Hong Kong Baptist University and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts School of Film and Television showcasing their latest applications in film production, including a virtual cinematic system, AI Motion Acting Agent, etc. A comprehensive programme of workshops and forums will feature industry experts examining AI technology applications across various aspects of film and television production, alongside discussions of pertinent legal and intellectual property considerations, enabling industry professionals to harness the opportunities presented by AI advancement.

FILMART is hosting more than 30 exceptional events this year, including the Thailand - China Film and Television Communication and Cooperation Forum & the 1st Thailand - China Short Drama Awards Ceremony for Join in, the Forum on International Communication: Cooperation and Innovation for a New Vision, and the International Short Drama Association 2025 International Short Drama Forum. Major mainland media enterprises, including bilibili and Linmon International, will host content showcases presenting their latest works.

On the international front, Phoenix TV and the UK's Department for Business and Trade are jointly organising a UK-China Screen Forum, with the latter bringing a delegation including representatives from the British Film Institute to explore collaboration opportunities. Several ASEAN nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, will conduct exchange sessions to showcase their burgeoning film and television industries and markets to the international community.

Additionally, the Hong Kong Movie Music Showcase 2025 presents three flash-mob performances on the exhibition's opening day, themed 'Echoes of Order and Chaos”, featuring reimagined classic scores from Hong Kong crime and action films, arranged by music directors Tomy Wai and Julian Chan.

EntertainmentPulse convenes international industry leaders to share market insights

The fourth EntertainmentPulse, running concurrently with FILMART, addresses key topics including co-production, Asian animation, streaming platforms, artificial intelligence and ASEAN film markets. The Hong Kong Film Development Council, Hong Kong International Film Festival Society and other film organisations have collaboratively arranged four days of specialised discussions, welcoming industry leaders worldwide to examine the internationalisation of Asia's entertainment industry.

The conference emphasises innovative AI applications in the film industry, featuring distinguished speakers including Jihong Chen, Partner of Zhong Lun Law Firm, Liu Zhen, Vice President of Beijing Kuaishou Technology Co., Ltd., Jason Li, Managing Director of Mei Ah Entertainment Group, and the representatives from the production companies of Ne Zha 2, Yu Zhixin, Producer of Hong Li Animation Studios, and Liu Baoyu, Vice General Manager of Heguang Post-Production, who will analyse opportunities and challenges in related fields.

The ASEAN Film Production Development & market Outlook session presents prominent industry figures including Michael Chai, Chief Executive Officer of Westec Media Limited from Cambodia, Derrick Heng, Chief Marketing Officer, PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Teck Lim, Managing Director, Clover Films Pte. Ltd., Songpol Wongkondee, Director of Sales and Distribution, GDH 559 Co., Ltd, and Koh Mei Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) from Malaysia, exploring regional market development potential.

The conference concludes with sharing sessions by several local film industry professionals from 2024 blockbusters, including Philip Yung, director and screenwriter, and Amy Chin, producer of Papa, Anselm Chan, director and producer, and Cheng Wai-kei, screenwriter, of The Last Dance, who will share their creative journeys and perspectives on industry development.

HKIFF Industry Project Market connects global screen talent

The 23rd Hong Kong–Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF23) is a core initiative of the HKIFF Industry Project Market. This year's programme features a record 48 film projects across various sections, including 25 in-development projects15 works-in-progress projects, and 6 animation projects in the newly established animated feature film section.

The HKIFF Industry Project Market has also collaborated with Jakarta Film Week to launch a new section titled Jakarta Film Week Projects, showcasing the in-development projects of two emerging Indonesian filmmakers, further promoting film cooperation within Asia. All selected projects will participate in business matching sessions with investors, producers and distributors from more than 35 countries and regions during the three-day event, jointly exploring development opportunities in the Asian film market.  

FILMART and EntertainmentPulse
Date: 17 – 20 March 2025
Website:
FILMART -- www.hktdc.com/hkfilmart/en
EntertainmentPulse -- entertainmentpulse.hktdc.com/en
Programme -- hkfilmart.hktdc.com/conference/hkfilmart/tc/programme

Entertainment Expo
Date: 16 March - 27 April 2025

Spectacular events: Three founding projects - Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART), Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA); and six core events: Asian Film Awards (AFA), Digital Entertainment Summit (DES), EntertainmentPulse (EP), Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), Hong Kong Film Music Fiesta (new event included under EE 2025), and Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music)

Photo Download: https://bit.ly/3Fzvfj3

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About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With over 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on @hktdc and LinkedIn

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