As Hong Kong FilMart 2025 kicks off, Asia’s premier entertainment marketplace is setting new benchmarks for regional and global industry collaboration, with expanded international participation and initiatives designed to address the evolving landscape of content creation and distribution.
This year’s event will bring together over 750 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions, with 32 group pavilions led by governments of 23 countries and regions, according to Candas Yeung, associate director of service promotion department at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. “What is especially noteworthy is the expanded geographic diversity,” Yeung tells Variety. “We will welcome several new overseas pavilions from markets like Australia (New South Wales), Cambodia, France, India, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam, while the pavilions of Japan, Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan will be expanded.”
The Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations region has shown particularly strong representation with over 100 exhibitors from seven countries, while first-time exhibitors from markets like the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan further demonstrate FilMart’s growing global reach. In terms of attendance, organizers expect over 7,500 industry professionals from more than 50 countries and regions to converge on Hong Kong for the event.
FilMart 2025 introduces two significant new programs that reflect the marketplace’s evolution. The first is Producers Connect, organized by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Cultural and Creative Industry Development Agency, Hong Kong Film Development Council and the HKTDC, and funded by the government’s Film Development Fund. “The program provides producers with a valuable platform for networking, financing, learning and career advancement within the film industry,” explains Yeung. “Through international exposure, producers can gain valuable industry insights and forge connections leading to co-production opportunities, distribution agreements and global collaborations.”
The second initiative is the AI Hub pilot program, jointly organized by the HKTDC and industry associations, creating a platform for industry players to explore and promote the integration of AI in content creation and production.
The Asian entertainment market has undergone remarkable transformation over the past year, with ASEAN countries actively leveraging soft power for international cultural exchange. “Several successful collaborations at FilMart 2024 demonstrated the trend, including Hunan Mango TV’s partnership with YEAI to co-produce the Vietnamese version of renowned Mango TV IPs, and Linmon Pictures’ strategic collaboration with Thai production company Halo Production Co. to create a Thai remake of its popular Chinese series ‘Nothing but Thirty,’” notes Yeung. Meanwhile, mainland China maintains strong participation with more than 10 regional pavilions, with the Shanghai pavilion doubling in size this year.
Adding to the international flavor of FilMart 2025, European Film Promotion will operate its annual hub at the market. The EFP, a network of national film promotion agencies from 37 countries throughout Europe, brings together a roster of leading sales companies.
Industry leaders from across Asia offer nuanced perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing the Asian film market. Jangho Seo, executive VP of “Parasite” studio CJ ENM’s content business division, sees today’s Asian market as a powerful IP engine.
“For a country’s content to achieve global appeal, it is important to garner strong local and regional support, first and foremost,” Seo tells Variety. “Considering that a significant number of Asian [projects], mainly from CJ ENM, are receiving recognition from the global market based on their solid production quality and attractive narrative development — ‘Queen of Tears,’ ‘Lovely Runner’ and ‘Marry My Husband’ [are] international sensations while ‘I Can See Your Voice’ is being adapted in 30 regions — today’s Asian market is becoming a cultural epicenter where all these phenomena begin in tandem.”
Seo notes that market events provide invaluable opportunities for face-to-face meetings, conferences to share insights and trend-spotting. However, he acknowledges the challenge that global streaming platforms, increasingly crucial for Asian content providers, often cannot feasibly attend these events.
For Seo, FilMart’s strength lies in its “geocultural advantage,” with Hong Kong serving as an excellent location for in-person meetings among clients worldwide. “The event creates and provides a welcoming environment and accessibility for every player,” he says, adding that CJ ENM maintains a Hong Kong office that handles diverse businesses, including pay TV channel tvN Asia, making Hong Kong “a very important and strategic region for us to continue cultural diplomacy.”
Lorna Tee, film producer and curator with over 20 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry, points to the shrinking market for independent films and looks to industry events as places where these films can find funding and distribution. “Independent films had a fairly healthy market in the past but in the past decade or so, the ability of films made outside of the system to secure distribution and sales, is dire,” says Tee. She suggests FilMart could “bring a number of wealthy individuals and foundations to the market, as how it happens during Art Basel” to enrich the marketplace and elevate it to another level.
“The ultimate goal is to create a scenario where Asian films can reach audiences throughout the region, giving them the opportunity to thrive,” says Indonesia’s Yulia Evina Bhara, organizer of Yogyakarta’s JAFF Market and producer of Cannes’ Critics Week Grand Prize winner “Tiger Stripes,” noting that distribution remains a key challenge across the region, while emphasizing the crucial role platforms like FilMart play in facilitating essential industry dialogue.
Jeremy Chua, general manager of the Singapore International Film Festival and producer of Cannes Golden Camera winner “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” observes that “distributors are more conservative nowadays, relying on award-winners, big directors or recognizable casting to attract audiences.” While the new Producers Connect initiative already addresses some networking concerns, Chua suggests FilMart could further enhance opportunities for emerging filmmakers with “an Asian version of the Marché du Films’ Producers Network Breakfast Meetings” to create even more informal networking opportunities — “Imagine this with a dim sum trolley,” he adds.
Liza Diño, who heads Philippines-based Fire and Ice Media and Prods., identifies several challenges, including changing distribution landscapes and genre bias favoring horror, action and crime thrillers. “While streamers prioritize genre films, they are also expanding their regional content strategies,” Diño notes, pointing to platforms like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ investing in Asian originals as new opportunities for diverse content types. She recommends FilMart introduce dedicated showcases for A-list festival selections from new directors to give their films better visibility with buyers.
A significant trend at FilMart 2025 is the surge in animation content following the phenomenal success of China’s “Ne Zha 2,” which has grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. EntertainmentPulse will host a dedicated seminar bringing together animation producers from across Asia, while a separate panel will explore AI applications in the audiovisual industry. To build on the toon boom, the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has introduced a new animation section this year, with six selected animation feature projects from around the globe participating in open pitch sessions during FilMart.
IP development is further supported through the Online IP Catalogue, featuring over 1,000 IPs from exhibitors. “The platform helps sustain meaningful communication beyond the physical event, extending promotion and business matching opportunities from the four-day exhibition to a two-month period,” Yeung explains. The significance of IP development will be explored at Producers Connect through a dedicated fireside chat discussing extension strategies.
While in-person networking has firmly returned as the core of FilMart, digital components continue to enhance the business experience. “The physical event is crucial for meaningful face-to-face interactions, spontaneous business discussions, and relationship-building between content creators, buyers and distributors from different regions,” Yeung says. “At the same time, we continue to enhance our online offerings to create a more effective marketplace.”
Looking ahead, FilMart’s theme for 2025 — “Dare to change, dare to excel” — points to an Asian entertainment market that is evolving. “The Asian entertainment landscape is being transformed through increased diversity in content creation, expanded distribution channels and enhanced cross-border partnerships,” Yeung concludes. “We are seeing the integration of cutting-edge technologies alongside new productions, setting the stage for continued growth and innovation.”
