Film co-productions started to emerge after the end of World War II. Under the rapid rise of post-war world trade, filmmakers and film companies began turning to the international market for funding, talents, and technology. Though at the time, co-productions were more about business expansion and tapping into foreign markets than initiating cultural exchanges among countries. Nonetheless, the trend of international co-productions and advancing technology have paved the way for culturally distinct films from non-Western nations to travel far and beyond their home countries. 

Global economic growth also encouraged the development of arts and culture, governments around the world are becoming more keen to support independent film productions. The rise of film festivals, finance forums and film markets also enable filmmakers to reach more audiences and industry people abroad, helping them garner international recognition. From attracting investors and skilled personnel, to fostering international collaborations, international co-productions have radically changed the ways in which films are made and distributed. 

Pan-Asian film productions began taking shape in Hong Kong during the 2000s, and brought about numerous commercial films co-produced with Thailand, South Korea and Singapore. Since the signing of the CEPA in 2003, Hong Kong-Mainland co-productions have gradually taken over as the norm in Hong Kong cinema. Meanwhile, in recent years, film industries in our neighbouring Asian countries are on a meteoric rise. Especially in Southeast Asia, where we have been seeing a progressively growing international co-production model and more independent films making their marks in international festivals.

Kicking off the programme, New Cinema Collective looks at three Asian film companies with sound experience in independent international co-productions. Founded by a group of filmmakers, Epicmedia Productions specialises in film production and finding local and international funding for Filipino film projects. Japan’s KUZOKU is dedicated to independent film productions, the two core members of the group constantly travel across Asia to capture and develop little-known stories into films, from which they initiate opportunities for co-productions. Singaporean film agency Momo Film Co focuses on working with emerging filmmakers from Southeast Asia to produce culturally-diverse projects.

The films and shorts selected in this section reflect the companies’ diverse fields of interests and experiences in co-productions. Malaysian filmmaker Bradley Liew’s debut feature, Epicmedia Productions’ Singing in Graveyards is a semi-autobiographical film about the late Filipino rock star Pepe Smith. KUZOKU’s Bangkok Nites, directed by Katsuya Tomita, delves into Bangkok’s red light district and the lives of its inhabitants to explore Thailand and its bordering countries’ complicated geopolitical landscapes. Finally, Momo Film Co presents four short films from Singapore and Vietnam that encapsulate the aesthetics and cultures unique to the South Asian region. Focusing on three notable independent co-productions from Southeast Asia and Hong Kong in recent years: Singing in Graveyards, A Land Imagined and Blue Island, the films’ producers and directors will share their experiences of working on the films, and discuss the future of film co-productions with fellow Hong Kong filmmakers in the online panel.