UK FILM COUNCIL BACKS BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY EXPORT PUSH INTO ASIA AT HONG KONG FILMART

March 17, 2008

Source: UK Film Council

The UK Film Council is backing 11 British film businesses looking to build their trading links with China, Hong Kong and other parts of Asia through participating in Asia’s biggest film and TV market, the Hong Kong FILMART, 17-20 March 2008.

More than 4,000 people in the film industry and 400 companies go to the Hong Kong FILMART providing British businesses with a great opportunity to sell films and services into Asia. To support the companies, the UK Film Council and UK Trade and Investment (UKTi) are funding a market stand for the British companies for the fourth year.

The market stand is just one strand of the UK’s activities at Hong Kong’s Entertainment Expo. Six UK films are receiving their Asian premieres at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF): Anand Tucker’s And When Did You Last See Your Father? Nick Broomfield’s Battle for Haditha, Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching, Ken Loach’s It’s a Free World and The Wind That Shakes the Barley, and Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light, about The Rolling Stones. The HKIFF is one of Asia’s most respected festivals with250 films from more than 50 countries attracting more than 260,000 visitors.

This year, for the first time ever, a UK originated project has been selected to be included in the Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF). Bloodline, directed by Richard Jobson, is a co-production between the UK’s Independent Film Company and Hong Kong’s Jettone which produces Wong Kar Wei’s films. The Forum aims to bring international filmmakers with films in development seeking co-production to Hong Kong to meet financiers, bankers, buyers, film funding bodies and international film distributors.

In addition, this year also marks the first ever official partnership between HAF and the UK Film Council which will be hosting a lunch with UKTi for HAF delegates providing a great opportunity to promote the UK to major international filmmakers and executives.

The British organisations and companies going out to Hong Kong with the UK Film Council are:

· Capitol Films which has the upcoming Mary Queen of Scots directed by Philip Noyce and starring Scarlett Johansson, Scott Hicks’ The Boys are Back in Town, ,John Maybury’s The Edge of Love and Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone’s Distant Thunder;

· ContentFilm International which is presenting Marc Forby’s Barbarian Princess, Richard Attenborough’s Closing the Ring, David Alan’s Elephants of the Okavango and Peter Greenaway’s Nightwatching;

· Ealing Studios International which has Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson’s St Trinian’s;

· Independent Film Company with Noel Clarke’s Adulthood, Ben Turner and Gabe Turner’s documentary In the Hands of the Gods, Richard Jobson’s New Town Killers and Nicolas Roeg’s Night Train;

· Park Circus Films, the UK’s leading distributor of classic British, American and world cinemas films;

· THINKFilm International which has Alex De La Iglesia’sThe Oxford Murders and works with new talent and prominent international directors such Hector Babenco;

· Olsberg SPI, a strategy advisory company specialising in film, television and interactive media;

· Film London which promotes and develops London as an international filmmaking and film cultural capital;

· Scottish Screen, the national development agency for the screen industries in Scotland;

· South East Media Network, a business-led consortium focused on helping businesses in the south east of England increase their business in the global digital content market; and

· Screen South, the regional agency for developing film and media in the south of England.

Sarah McKenzie, Senior Executive for Export Development at the UK Film Council said:

“The festival, Filmart and the Asian Film Financing Forum provide excellent opportunities for British film companies and organisations to explore and develop relationships with film businesses in Asia so we are delighted to be supported companies in a whole a range of activity in Hong Kong. International links, particularly with the emerging markets in Asia critical for sales companies to grow and develop.”

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