Hong Kong Cinema Promotion at Busan Film Market Strengthens International Industry Ties

The 'Hong Kong Cinema@BUSAN2025' promotional campaign concluded successfully after running from September 20 to 23 at the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan, South Korea. Jointly organized by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Hong Kong SAR Government's Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Hong Kong Film Development Council, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the event served as a significant platform for promoting Hong Kong's film production capabilities internationally.

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Patrick Lau emphasized the campaign's importance in showcasing Hong Kong's creative vitality to overseas counterparts. The initiative aimed to build an international exchange platform enabling local filmmakers to engage with global peers and understand evolving market trends. Through flexible adaptation, filmmakers can explore new realms of innovation according to Lau's statements during the event.

The campaign commenced with a Hong Kong Night event at the Paradise Hotel Busan on September 19, attracting over 600 industry professionals from Hong Kong and worldwide. The delegation included prominent figures such as Sylvia Chang, producer of the film Measure in Love, who received the Camellia Award from the Busan International Film Festival recognizing her achievements as a female filmmaker. Other delegation members included director Siu-Ping Kung, actress Angela Yuen, and producers Johnny Wang, Terence Choi, Fanny Chong, and Kinnie Cheung.

A key component of the campaign was the Hong Kong Pavilion established at the Asian Contents & Film Market, funded by the CCIDA and the Film Development Fund. Participating companies included Cappu Films Limited, Golden Network Asia Limited, Mei Ah Entertainment Group Ltd, One Cool Pictures Limited, and Mandarin Motion Pictures Limited. Additional Hong Kong film companies and organizations present included 32cc Limited, Edko Films Limited, Emperor Motion Pictures, Entertaining Power Co. Limited, Golden Scene Company Limited, the Asian Film Awards Academy, and the Industry Office of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society.

The pavilion showcased Hong Kong films selected for the 30th Busan International Film Festival, including The Shadow's Edge in the Open Cinema section, Measure in Love funded by the Directors' Succession Scheme under the FDF in the Open Cinema section, and Girlfriends in the Vision - Asia section. Hong Kong producers participated in various exchange activities and official ACFM events such as the Producer Hub, luncheons, panel discussions, and networking sessions that strengthened connections with overseas producers and production companies.

A significant development during the event was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between CCIDA and the Busan Asian Film School, aimed at strengthening collaboration between Hong Kong and South Korea in film talent development activities and exchanges. This agreement represents a concrete step toward fostering long-term cooperation between the two regions' film industries.

HKTDC representatives also participated in the Asian Film Market Leaders Summit, where Josephine Lam, Section Head of HKTDC's Entertainment Industry, Service Promotion Department, discussed market trends with representatives from major Asian film markets including Busan's ACFM, the Tokyo International Film Festival Content Market, the Taiwan Creative Content Fest, the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, and the Red Sea Souk in Saudi Arabia. Lam highlighted the role of the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market as one of Asia's primary film markets during these discussions.

Participating companies expressed satisfaction with the campaign's outcomes, noting that it successfully showcased Hong Kong's film industry strengths to overseas markets while facilitating increased collaboration between Hong Kong filmmakers and international counterparts. The event reinforced Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange and as a regional intellectual property trading hub. More information about the participating organizations can be found at https://www.hktdc.com/aboutus.