Hong Kong Cinema @ Cannes 2026 Showcases City’s Role as Bridge Between Global and Asian Film Markets

The Hong Kong film industry is making a strong push at the Cannes Film Festival with ‘Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026’, a series of events running from May 12 to 23. Organized by the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the initiative aims to deepen industry exchange and expand co-production and investment opportunities.

A highlight of the event was ‘Hong Kong Night’ held on May 16 at Majestic Beach, bringing together around 600 international film professionals, including producers, distributors, investors and film promotion organizations. The event connected these global industry players with Hong Kong exhibitors, emerging producers, and actors Carlos Chan and Natalie Hsu, as well as winning teams of the FDC’s Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms, creating valuable opportunities for international exchange and discussions on collaboration.

The Hong Kong Pavilion at the Marché du Film features a strong line-up of film production and distribution companies, including Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures, Entertaining Power, Media Asia Film, and One Cool Film. Other participating companies include Fortune Star Media, Golden Network Asia, Mandarin Motion Pictures, and Blast Films. Exhibitors showcase a range of latest and upcoming productions, such as Edko Films’ ‘Cold War 1994’, the Chinese film ‘Under Current’, the top opening box office title of 2025; Entertaining Power’s ‘The Fruitless Tree’; Media Asia Film’s ‘Twilight of the Warriors: The Final Chapter’; and One Cool Film’s crime action film ‘The Trier of Fact’. These projects have attracted producers, investors and distributors from different countries and regions, facilitating in-depth discussions on Hong Kong cinema’s latest creative trends, production strengths and international co-operation opportunities.

Anna Cheung, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: ‘By co-organising ‘Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026′ once again with the CSTB, FDC and CCIDA during the Cannes Film Festival, the HKTDC helps the Hong Kong industry follow up on projects discussed at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) held in March, and brings Hong Kong original works to overseas markets. We also support international screen productions in entering the Asian market via Hong Kong, reinforcing the city’s role as a vital bridge connecting Asian and the global markets.’

Participating companies said the Hong Kong Pavilion provides a highly effective platform for meetings with international buyers. Grace Chan, Head of Distribution at Entertaining Power Co. Limited, said: ‘I bring the family-drama-themed title ‘The Fruitless Tree’. It is very important for me to meet every programmer from different film festivals. This is a really good bridge for us to come here and present a movie to everyone in the market especially film festival programmers.’ Vanessa Lo, Vice President of Sales and Distribution at Media Asia, said: ‘Media Asia joined the Hong Kong Pavilion at this year’s Cannes market to seek partners for ‘Twilight of the Warriors: The Final Chapter’, and successfully established partnerships with buyers from multiple territories including France, Germany, Singapore and Vietnam, many of whom had previously collaborated on ‘Walled In’.’ Mark Shaw, Director of Shaw Organisation, and Hang Trinh, Chief Executive Officer of Skyline Media, said: ‘The success of the ‘Twilight of the Warriors’ franchise stems from its strong cast, distinctly Hong Kong storytelling, and continued global demand for Hong Kong action cinema.’

A series of industry seminars and exchange activities were also organised during the event. At the seminar titled ‘Capital Flows & Co-Production Opportunities in Hong Kong, Asia and Beyond’, speakers shared insight into funding trends and co-production opportunities in Hong Kong and Asian film markets. Another seminar, ‘Hong Kong Power: The ground-breaking AI ecosystem building cinema, technology and research’, featured representatives from Mei Ah Entertainment and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, who discussed the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in film creation, production workflows and talent development. The session also explored how Hong Kong can foster cross-regional and cross-sector collaborations by integrating industry, academia and research, alongside the rapid advancement of AI technologies.

The newly introduced ‘Spotlight on Hong Kong: Pitching Session’ starred five emerging Hong Kong producers and their latest film projects. Award-winning teams of the FDC’s Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms also participated, with three winning producers – Kingman Cho, LiLing Long and Tsang Tsui Shan – sharing updates on their projects. These sessions facilitated in-depth exchanges between the Hong Kong delegation and producers from different countries and regions on creative visions, production experience and collaboration models, with the aim of nurturing the next generation of Hong Kong film talent and enhancing their competitiveness in the international market.

‘Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026’ also introduced its first-ever business matching meetings, connecting the Hong Kong delegation with overseas producer delegations led by international organisations. Participating international organisations included returning partners from Producers Connect @ FILMART 2026, such as Cinecittà from Italy, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), ICEX Spain Trade and Investment and the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), as well as new partners including Telefilm Canada, CNC (France), Cinema do Brasil, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH from Germany, and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund. These meetings have deepened long-term collaboration between Hong Kong and international institutions, while promoting co-production and partnership opportunities between filmmakers worldwide and Hong Kong.

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