HAF welcomes Asian Filmmakers to get in the running for HAF 2006

September 21, 2005

The Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), Asia's pivotal film financing forum, is again welcoming filmmakers to submit their projects for selection in 2006.

Co-organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and the Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Territories Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd. (MPIA), HAF unites Asian filmmakers with film financiers, producers, bankers, distributors, buyers and film-funding bodies in forming possible co-production ventures.

In 2005, more than 200 submissions were received from over 15 countries / territories across Asia. Now, filmmakers are again being welcomed to register their film projects with Asia's most enterprising film-financing platform. The 2006 application deadline is 31 October 2005.

For a minimal entry fee, all film projects in any stage of production are welcome for consideration, provided they are narrative feature films with theatrical potential and with an Asian director or producer in the driving seat. The complete details of the application criteria are available online: www.haf.eexpohk.com.

HAF issues a number of cash and in-kind awards to some of the exceptional film projects selected for presentation by HAF. For details on past year's awards, please visit our website: www.haf.eexpohk.com.

HAF receives steady support from international counterparts such as the Hubert Bals Fund and Cinemart of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, alongside the Pusan Promotion Plan (PPP) of the Pusan International Film Festival.

On top of the many esteemed international advisors who have guided HAF in the past, this year we would like to extend a special welcome to a group of new advisors, including Mr Terence Chang of Lion Rocks, long-term partner of John Woo and producer of his films (U.S.A.); Mr Ichiyama Shozo of Office Kitano and producer of The World (Japan); Mr Jerome Paillard, Director of the Cannes Film Market (France); Mr Taesung Jeong, COO of Korea blockbuster-maker Showbox Inc. (South Korea); and Mr Tian Zhang Zhang, renowned 5th generation film director of the Chinese mainland. For the full list of HAF 2006 Committee members, please refer to our website: www.haf.eexpohk.com.

HAF 2006 will take place in Hong Kong 20-22 March 2006, alongside FILMART, Asia's most internationally recognised film, television and multi-media business platform. Attracting a critical mass of film professionals, entertainment heavyweights and international film bodies, HAF stands as an ever-growing platform for the business of film financing and co-production ventures in Asia. Both HAF and FILMART are proud to be part of Entertainment Expo Hong Kong (www.eexpohk.com), a groundbreaking event featuring the very best of film, digital entertainment, music and multi-media.

To learn more about the HAF 2006 application details or the event itself, please visit: www.haf.eexpohk.com or contact Ms. Jacqueline Liu, Project Executive at (852) 2584 4516 or haf@tdc.org.hk.

For more information on FILMART and Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, please visit: www.hkfilmart.com/hkfilmart and www.eexpohk.com respectively.

For media enquiries, please contact Ms. Rochelle Lewis, Assistant Manager, Marketing Communications, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, at (852) 2584 4403 or rochelle.lewis@tdc.org.hk.