FAR EAST FILM FESTIVAL 23 FOCUS ASIA INDUSTRY GUIDE INDUSTRY30 June - 2GUIDE July 2021 FOCUS ASIA & TTB / APRIL 29TH - MAY 3RD 30 1 2 FOCUS ASIA WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY After a very successful 2020 online edition, FOCUS ASIA 2021 is back with a challenging and exciting brand-new hybrid format, bringing together over 200 international film professionals both physically and virtually. This year again, the programme will include a large number of industry events meant to foster CASA DELLA CASA DELLA professional and artistic exchanges between Asia and Europe. CASA DELLA The ALL GENRES PROJECT MARKET will present 9 high-quality projects in advanced development phase CONTADINANZA CONTADINANZA CONTADINANZA from 7 different countries. The final line-up will feature a large variety of genres and a great diversity of 9.30 profiles of directors and producers, proving one of the main goals of the platform: to explore both the pre- 9.30 9.30 sent and future generation of filmmakers. All selected projects will be seeking the most suitable co-pro- FOCUS ASIA OPENING FAR EAST IN PROGRESS SECOND HAND FILM MARKET duction and financing partners through a series of individual meetings with all international attendees. & ALL GENRES PROJECT The only works-in-progress MARKET A fine selection of restored hits All market professionals will be also able to request individual meetings with the participants selected for section dedicated to Asian films from the recent past ready to be project presentation TIES THAT BIND, the Asia/Europe Co-production Workshop that every year brings together 10 European in post-production released in the near future. and Asian producers focusing on project development and 5 European professionals interested in wor- 11.00 11.00 11.00 king with Asia. The workshop has become the reference for developing European-Asian co-productions in VI (TASTE) BY Lê Bảo THE CURRENT ASIAN IN THE MOOD the past decade, combining producer training, project development and co-production meetings. Co-Production Case Study with DISTRIBUTION LANDSCAPE FOR RESTORATION For the second consecutive year FAR EAST IN PROGRESS will present upcoming Asian feature films in Weijie LAI (E&W, Singapore) with Pamela Bai (Hugoeast, with Vincent Paul-Boncour post-production looking for festival premiere and international distribution; 5 selected teams will have the and Marie DUBAS (Petit Film, China), Shaoyi Chen (Carlotta Films, France), Mireille chance to screen some excerpts of their films to a large panel of international sales agents, festival pro- (Screenwork Asia, Taiwan), Van Helm (Block 2 Distribution, France) in collaboration with grammers and buyers, and they will be in the running for the 108 MEDIA Distribution Award. Kana Koido (Klockworx, Japan), Hong Kong), Maxime Ties That Bind Thanks to the collaboration with European Film Promotion, Focus Asia 2021 will launch the first edition of Vincent Quek (Anticipated Vauthier, Louise Kerouanton Pictures, Singapore) moderated (STUDIOCANAL, France). the SECOND-HAND FILM MARKET, a brand-new section designed to showcase a fine selection of restored by Patrick Frater Moderated by Michele hits from the recent past ready to be released in the near future. in collaboration with Crocchiola (Fondazione Another innovation of the 2021 industry programme are the ASIAN GATES, a cycle of masterclasses and Ties That Bind Culturale Stensen, Italy) case studies addressed to European film professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of the oppor- tunities offered by the Asian market. Focus Asia 2021 will also include a rich programme of panels, case studies and strategic meetings, 12.30 12.30 12.30 thus becoming the most natural bridge between the Asian and European landscape. On top of all these HOW TO GET PUBLIC THE CURRENT ITALIAN CLOSING CEREMONY activities Focus Asia will also offer a series of informal and spontaneous on-site/online networking events FUNDING FOR FINANCING LANDSCAPE & FAR EAST IN PROGRESS where professionals from all over the world will be able to meet, get to know each other and start shaping CO-PRODUCTIONS IN with Iole Maria Giannattasio AWARD GREATER CHINA together the films of the future. (Ministero della Cultura, with Vincent WANG (House On Direzione Generale Cinema e Focus Asia is organized by Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche with the collaboration of the Friuli Vene- Fire Productions, France) and Audiovisivo, Italy) and Federico zia Giulia Audiovisual Fund and with the support of MiC. It is developed in collaboration with the workshop Patrick Mao HUANG (Flash Pedroni (Rai Cinema, Italy) Ties That Bind and is promoted in association with Eave, European Film Promotion, HAF - Hong Kong, and Forward Entertainment, Taiwan) Taipei Golden Horse Film Project Promotion. in collaboration with Ties That Bind 15.00 15.00 THE ASIAN GATE FOR THE ASIAN GATE FOR SALES PRODUCERS with Matteo Lovadina a discovery session with (Reel Suspects, France) in Raymond Van Der Kaaij collaboration with EFP (Revolver Amsterdam, Netherlands) All events are on CEST time zone 3 HAF to Focus Asia Ad_outlined 3mm bleeding.pdf 1 17/6/2021 10:55 AM Submission period : Aug-Oct 2021 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K ALL GENRES PROJECT MARKET ADABANA P. 6 ASH VALLEY P. 8 BACK HOME P. 10 LITTLE BASTARD P. 12 LOW-END P. 14 MAYANG P. 16 MISHIMA, THE ROSES OF VENDETTA P. 18 PIERCE P. 20 THREE FUNERALS AND A WEDDING P. 22 ALL GENRES PROJECT MARKET DIRECTOR’S NOTE COMPANY CONTACTS If we thin out people, any life on the planet, or objects that were ROBOT COMMUNICATIONS INC. unnecessary to our society, I worry how colorless the sensitivity 3-9-7 Ebisu minami, Shibuya-ku, of humans in the future would be. If we continue this lifestyle, 1500022, Tokyo, Japan ADABANA consuming excessively as we do now, if our greed wins over our M - [email protected] value, treating life without any respect, our souls and ethnicity, T - + 81 9074291595 and even our diversity might be left behind, with the possibility of “body exchange” in the future. Cherry blossom is a flower that represents Japan and symbolizes death. It is said that most of the trees we see now are clones, all sharing the same DNA. By overlapping the short life of this cloned cherry blossoms, from when it sprouts to the time its flowers fall off, with the seven days A man diagnosed with terminal cancer a man interacts with his clone, I’ll depict our common spends his last 7 days with his clone understanding through mythical realization, using beautiful created only to save him and decides depiction like capturing a myth with reality. his fate while their affection toward one another deepens. DIRECTOR’S PROFILE Short filmOndine’s Curse (2014), which pursued the Japanese Noh and human psychology, won Semi-Grand Prix at Yamagata Sayaka Kai | Director International Film Festival 2014 and Honorable Mention Award at SKIP City International D-Cinema Festival 2015. It was highly PROJECT INFORMATION SYNOPSIS praised oversea, at Maison de Culture du Japon in Paris. Her first feature filmRed Snow (2019) was nominated in various About 50 years ago, an unknown virus spread through the world, COUNTRY international film festivals including Marrakesh International Film changing physical constitutions of humans, and as a result Festival 2018 Competition Section, Up- and-Coming Director Japan bringingdown birthrates. To maintain labor force of each country, Grand Prix at Takasaki Film Festival 2019, Best Picture Award at PRODUCER development of clone technology was encouraged. Los Angeles Japan Film Festival 2019. Hiroyuki Ueno The protagonist is an heir of a huge pharmaceutical company in PRODUCTION COMPANY his 40’s. He has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and the Robot Communications Inc. one treatment suggested by his doctor is organ transplant from COMPANY PROFILE his clone, an option only the privileged can enjoy . The cancer is DIRECTOR ROBOT started in film production withLove Letter directed spreading fast and he has only 7 days to decide if he is willing to Hiroyuki Ueno | Producer Sayaka Kai by Shunji Iwai. It went on to become one of the biggest film go on with the surgery. The man asks if he could meet his clone. production companies in Japan with box office hits likeBayside WRITER Though he is a successful businessman, through his Shakedown, Umizaru, and Sunset on Third Street. Short animation Sayaka Kai conversation with the clone, he comes to know the emptiness La Maison en Petits Cubes directed by Kunio Kato won the Best within him which he never realized and tries to regain his life GENRE Animated Short Film at 81st Academy Awards, the first Japanese back in a surprising way. Drama film to receive the award. Recently along with Japanese mega TOTAL BUDGET hits, Robot has produced works of up and coming directors such € 413,000 as We are Little Zombies directed by Makoto Nagahisa (Winner of FINANCING IN PLACE World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Originality at 35th € 165,000 Sundance Film Festival & Special Mention Award / Generation 14 plus at 69th Berlin International Film Festival) and Red Snow LOOKING FOR (2019) directed by Sayaka Kai. Co-production, Financing, Netflix new seriesAlice in Borderland is now being distributed Sales Agent, Festival worldwide. 6 7 ALL GENRES PROJECT MARKET DIRECTOR’S NOTE COMPANY CONTACTS I grew up in Northeastern China in an oil town called Daqing. EAST FILMS My grandparents' generation moved here and built it from the 1023 N Wilton Place, Los Angeles, ASH ground up to become the largest oil field in China. The city 90038, CA, United States flourished with the oil boom, but oil production has been in M - [email protected] slow decline since the last decade. Young people, including T - + 1 3109456585 VALLEY myself, have all moved out of the city to avoid the harsh climate and pursue brighter opportunities in bigger cities, leaving the old generations of oil workers in their “empty nest”.