Hindi
HAF Awards winners announced
Hong Kong: The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum today announced the winners for the HAF awards, the Technicolor Bangkok awards, the Lacarno Open Doors awards and the Paris Project awards.
The HAF Excellence award this year was presented to Charlie Young, director of Christmas Rose (Hong Kong), for being the first project to successfully achieve full financing at the HAF.
Wanted by Dante Lam and The Murderer by Na Hong-jin were awarded HKD 100,000 (USD13,000 approx) each for projects originating in Hong Kong and outside of Hong Kong respectively.
The Technicolor Bangkok awards of $20,000 (approx. HKD 156,000) each were given to Blood Maple and the Passion of the Kid (Thailand) by Chartchai Ketnust and Veritigo (Vietnam) by Chuyen Bui Thac.
The Locarno Open Doors award – 5,000 Euros (HKD 50,000) – were presented to Help By Li Ying and Winter Vacation by Li Hong-qi. Both the projects are from the Chinese mainland. The projects will be invited to participate at the Locarno International Film Festival’s Open Door’s award section in 2009. Two round trips and hotel accommodations will be provided to each project.
The Paris Project award –Euros 5,000 (HKD 50,000) – was presented to And Protect, Protected by Baomi Kawase (Japan). This includes one round trip and hotel accommodation at the Paris Cinema International Film Festival to participate in the Paris Project 2009.This year’s line-up included film projects from 11 territories.
The HAF is one of the leading hubs of film-financing in Asia. This year it saw a 38 per cent increase in applicants for places in the forum, with guest registrations numbering over 900. This year’s Forum has also organised close to 500 successfully concluded meetings.
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
