Off of the back of a film financing program revamp from theHong Kong Film Development Council (HKFDC) in January earlier this year, Hong Kong’s upcoming Filmart will look to build on that momentum to revitalize the Hong Kong film industry.
Running from March 17 to 20 and organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), this year’s Filmart will feature new overseas pavilions from Australia (New South Wales), Cambodia, India, and Saudi Arabia, as well as first-time exhibitors Kazakhstan, with returning pavilions from France, Malaysia, and Vietnam.
Organizers said that this year’s edition will welcome 750 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions — matching last year’s 750 exhibitors and 7,500 visitors, and more than the 2023 edition’s 700 exhibitors and 7,300 visitors. However, this is still a dip compared to Filmart’s last pre-pandemic edition in 2019, which featured 880 exhibitors.
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Candas Yeung, Associate Director of Service Promotion Department at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and head of Filmart, tells Deadline that two current trends guided Filmart’s programming thrusts this year.
“First, co-production has become increasingly prominent, with production companies seeking international partnerships to combine creative resources and access multiple markets,” says Yeung. “This approach facilitates cultural exchange and creates content with broader global appeal.
“Additionally, AI technology is transforming filmmaking processes across pre-production, filming, and post-production stages. Production companies are leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and create innovative content. These evolving trends highlight the importance of international industry markets like Filmart, to act as crucial meeting points for industry professionals to discover new business opportunities and explore new partnerships.”
In response to both of these trends, the 2025 edition of Filmart will launch two new initiatives: The first one is Producers Connect, which will focus on connecting local emerging producers with international counterparts to foster talent exchange and collaboration. Funded by the Film Development Fund, this initiative is organized by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Cultural and Creative Industry Development Agency, HKFDC and the HKTDC.
The second initiative is the “AI Hub” pilot programme, which aims to create a platform to promote the integration of AI in content creation and production, and help industry players to explore business opportunities around AI applications in the entertainment industry.
Additionally, Filmart will host an AI-focused panel featuring insights from Hong Li Animation Studio, one of the production companies behind box office hit Ne Zha 2, which has grossed more than $2BN in China so far.
Looking ahead, Yeung says that one of Filmart’s targets over the next few years is to attract more visitors and industry professionals from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and emerging Southeast Asian markets.
“The marketplace aims to boost business potential by attracting exhibitors from untapped regions,” says Yeung. “This broader geographical representation will open new distribution channels, increase content trading opportunities, and facilitate cross-border investments in the Asian entertainment industry.”
Yeung shares that Hong Kong and mainland China comprise the most registered buyers at Filmart, and that Hong Kong content remains a significant element of Filmart.
Hong Kong film and entertainment companies, including Emperor Motion Pictures, Media Asia, Golden Scene, Edko Films, Entertaining Power, Media Asia Entertainment and Sil Metropole, will be present at Filmart this year.
Local broadcasters Radio Television Hong Kong and TVB will also set up booths at Filmart, alongside MakerVille — entertainment subsidiary of Hong Kong media group PCCW.
Additonally, a new event — the Hong Kong Film Music Fiesta — has been added to this year’s Entertainment Expo program, which is the umbrella title encompassing Filmart, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Awards, Asian Film Awards and Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), among others. The new event seeks to showcase Hong Kong’s film music culture and creativity to a wide audience, while creating new business leads for industry professionals.