19 hours Ago By Clifford Coonan
Independent Hong Kong distributor Golden Scene has picked up worldwide sales rights to Macau director Tracy Choi’s “Girlfriends,” a work-in-progress project at the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF). Choi said the project is a pan-Asian collaboration and involves talent and backing support from Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand, forming a network that thrives on shared storytelling and cross-border distribution. “Collaboration is becoming a defining characteristic of the Asian market.
Over the past two years, we’ve seen an increase in co-productions across Asia, as well as a stronger international presence from filmmakers and producers in traditionally self-sufficient industries like Korea and Japan,” Choi told Variety . “This push for collaboration is exciting because it allows us to pool resources, expand creative possibilities and access wider markets. This kind of synergy not only strengthens regional cinema but also helps Asian stories travel further globally.
Collaboration isn’t just a trend — it’s shaping the future of development and distribution in Asia,” Choi said. Choi added that the project came about during the pandemic — a time when people were looking back at the past to see what experiences shaped who they are today. “This story is about exactly that — how our present selves are built from countless versions of our past selves.
We meet all kinds of people along life’s journey; some are just passing through, some are people we’ve hurt and some are people who have hurt us. But ultimately, it’s because of these people that we become better versions of ourselves. This is the story I want to tell,” Choi said.
Producer Estela Valdivieso Chen said there’s a noticeable rise in demand for regional content on a global scale. “This shift is impacting the entire industry — whether it’s major blockbusters or independent arthouse films. If audiences are hesitant to visit theaters even for large-scale commercial releases, it becomes an even greater challenge to attract them to smaller, more intimate films,” said Chen.
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