GECs
Hong Kong Asia – Film Financing Forum calls for entries
MUMBAI: The next Hong Kong Asia – Film Financing Forum (HAF), scheduled for 20 – 23 March 2007, is now accepting submissions. The deadline for sending in the project is 31 October 2006.
The upcoming edition of HAF will be organised by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFF), with assistance from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Territories Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd. (MPIA).
The HAF is a key financing forum held concurrently with Hong Kong Filmart – the Asian film, television, and multi-media business platform. In 2006 the HAF awarded six prizes to filmmakers judged to have outstanding projects by the advisory board. Prizes totalled over HK$400,000 in cash and HK$200,000 in in-kind support, informs an official release.
The HAF aims to connect Asian filmmaking talent with upcoming theatrical film projects with financiers, producers, funding organisations, distributors and buyers in order to foster international co-production ventures. The HAF is a unique opportunity for filmmakers to present and discuss their projects individually with an array of potential partners in its three days, the release adds.
Filmmakers from across Asia who have participated in past HAF events include Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Tsai Ming-Liang, Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Nonzee Nimibutr, Jira Maligool, Jiang Wen, Lou Ye, Miike Takashi, Stanley Kwan, Ann Hui, Iwai Shunji, Peter Chan, and Ning Hao, who commented, “HAF is an excellent platform for film directors to offer their scripts for consideration to interested companies, allowing both parties to meet and communicate.” The HAF was instrumental in the production of Ning’s Crazy Stone, and was considered an invaluable resource by the director. Ratanaruang’s Invisible Waves and Tsai’s The Wayward Cloud each went on to screen in competition at Berlin, and Maligool’s The Tin Mine was Thailand’s official entry for Academy Award consideration.
Completed HAF projects have gone on to screen at the world’s most prestigious international film festivals, among them Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Locarno, Pusan, and Deauville. The HAF international partners include CineMart and Hubert Bals Fund of Rotterdam, Pusan Promotion Plan, Paris Cinéma, and the Rome Film Festival.
The HAF’s international advisory board includes a host of respected industry professionals. Among them are Ido Abram (The Netherlands), Terence Chang (USA), Roger Garcia (USA), Oh Jung Wan (South Korea), Jerome Paillard (France), Liz Wrenn (UK), Daniel Yun (Singapore), Aihara Hiromi (Japan), Mingmonkol Sonakul (Thailand), Tian Zhuang Zhuang (Chinese mainland), and many more.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
