Event Coverage
Haf Awards announced; Ho-Cheung drives away with ‘Bus’
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HONG KONG: The Haf Awards in their sixth edition, which attracted over 900 participants, were announced amidst much fanfare today. The awards arranged over 500 project meetings to shortlist 25 directors.
Organised by HKIFFS, in association with HKDTC and the Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Territories Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd, the Haf forum took place from 17 to 19 March at HKCEC in Hong Kong. Hong Kong director Pang Ho-Cheung won the Haf award for his project The Bus presented by the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum which carried a cash component of HKD 100,000 (approx USD 13,000) each. In the overseas category from the same forum, Ning Hao from the Chinese mainland won the Haf award for his project 7 Dreams. The Rome Film Festival Award which carried a cash component of HKD 117,000 (approx USD 15,000) was won by Tang Xiru for the project Fugitive Club from the Chinese mainland. The Technicolor Thailand Awards presented by Technicolor Thailand Ltd which comprised two awards of HKD 117,000 (approx 15,000 USD) were won by Hong Kongs Carol Lai Miu Suet for Shuffle produced by Chow Keung and Thailand‘s Nonzee Nimbutr for Secret of the Butterfly produced by Nonzee Nimbutr and Apichana Leenanond. The Technicolor Thailand Awards had three main parameters for being included in the running: the projects which had the maximum potential for financing and the director‘s past experience of directing at least one film, TV commercial, documentary or TV programme. In addition, the director‘s willingness to complete the post-production in Thailand was the deciding factor for winning the honour.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
