Latest news with #AWomanBuilds'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Indonesia Unveils New Cultural Blueprint With Focus on Film Industry Growth (EXCLUSIVE)
Indonesia's first-ever Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has outlined an ambitious blueprint for the nation's cultural growth, with special emphasis on developing the country's rapidly expanding film industry. 'This is the first time for Indonesia to have a new Ministry of Culture. This is a new chapter for cultural development under President Prabowo Subianto's administration,' Zon tells Variety in an exclusive interview at the Hong Kong FilMart market. More from Variety Hong Kong FilMart 2025: Five Takeaways From Asia's Recharged Global Content Market Asia's Animation Revolution Drives Upbeat Outlook Acclaimed Duo Huang Ji, Otsuka Ryuji Team Again for 'A Woman Builds' The newly established ministry is guided by Indonesia's constitutional mandate, which Zon notes has been in place for 80 years, requiring the state to advance 'Indonesia's national culture within global civilization by ensuring the freedom of society to preserve and develop its cultural values.' The ministry's strategy rests on three key pillars: protection and revitalization of cultural heritage, cultural diplomacy, and development of the cultural economy through digital innovation. The latter specifically targets film industry growth, which Zon describes as experiencing 'rapid growth' with more than 200 films produced last year and cinema audiences exceeding 80 million. Among the challenges facing Indonesia's film sector, Zon identifies 'the shortage of skilled script writers' as a key bottleneck. To address this, the ministry is implementing capacity building initiatives including masterclasses, training programs, student competitions, and industry collaborations. 'Our vision is to preserve Indonesia's rich storytelling traditions and position Indonesia as a competitive player in the global cultural creative economy,' Zon explains. To put matters in context, films from Indonesia now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world with 283 million, is rapidly expanding with homegrown productions accounting for a significant share of the local box office. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies that include an annual $13 million international co-production grant. The government is working to accelerate funding through an endowment fund with match funding schemes to support the film industry's economic potential. When asked about plans for international production incentives, Zon indicated that while specific tax breaks are still being developed, the immediate focus is on streamlining procedures. 'We try to make the procedure and the process easier and shorter. It's important for us to have this kind of exchange reciprocally with other countries,' he says, adding that international productions would help promote 'Indonesian culture, tourism, landscapes, and cultural values.' Zon emphasizes the importance of international festivals and markets like the Hong Kong FilMart in sustaining Indonesia's growing global presence in film and television. 'Networking is very important for Indonesian filmmakers,' Zon says. 'With the culture of globalization, we have to cooperate with each other.' He highlights regional networks such as AFAN (Asian Film Commissions Network) as crucial platforms for dialogue and exchange of best practices within the industry. The ministry is also revitalizing cultural centers across Indonesian provinces to serve as creative hubs for the film industry, alongside other cultural initiatives. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hong Kong FilMart 2025: Five Takeaways From Asia's Recharged Global Content Market
With over 7,600 industry players from 42 countries converging in Hong Kong, FilMart 2025 and EntertainmentPulse roared back with a clear message: Asia's entertainment engine isn't just running — it's accelerating into new markets, formats, and technologies. Hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the four-day market featured more than 760 exhibitors and a noticeable surge in Southeast Asian representation. From co-production matchmaking to cutting-edge AI applications and a live showcase of Hong Kong's film music legacy, FilMart proved once again why it's considered Asia's premier film and TV marketplace. More from Variety Asia's Animation Revolution Drives Upbeat Outlook Acclaimed Duo Huang Ji, Otsuka Ryuji Team Again for 'A Woman Builds' Phoenix Waters, Studio Target Sign Tri-Regional Film-TV Partnership, Set 'Shashou' Here are the top takeaways from this year's edition. 1. ASEAN Presence Explodes as Southeast Asia Takes Center Stage One of the biggest headlines this year was the rise of ASEAN countries as strategic players in both market scale and content ambition. Exhibitor participation from the region grew more than 50% year-on-year, while buyer attendance increased by 15%. Malaysia's national film body, FINAS, used the event to finalize a memorandum of understanding with Korea's KOFIC and engage in market access talks with Cambodia. 'It was a great start on the first day of FilMart 2025,' said FINAS CEO Dato' Azmir Saifuddin Bin Mutalib, 'among the discussions that concluded successfully is the discussion with the HK Cultural & Creative Development Agency on co-production funding.' Elsewhere, Thailand and Indonesia curated pavilions and forums designed to spotlight their creative capabilities and global ambitions, affirming that Southeast Asia is no longer a side act — it's part of the main billing. Newly launched this year, the Producers Connect program quickly became a hub of high-level conversation and practical matchmaking. Jointly backed by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the Hong Kong Film Development Council and the HKTDC, the initiative drew more than 1,300 participants. A marquee session titled 'International Coproduction: Balancing Risk and Rewards' zeroed in on creative integration, funding diversification and the realities of working across borders. Speakers included Gabriela Tocchio (Gullane Films), Justin Kim (CJ ENM), and Natacha Devillers (Les Petites Lumières), who unpacked strategies for overcoming cultural friction and production logistics. The program's Fireside Chats added depth, focusing on IP expansion and emerging market strategies. The program brought together international producers and local filmmakers — including Oliver Chan, Tenky Tin and Jill Leung — in discussions designed to foster cross-regional partnerships and expand global collaboration. The animation industry in Asia has grown exponentially in recent years and the buzz in the halls was all about what will be the next 'Ne Zha 2.' The toon has taken over $2 billion and become the highest-grossing animated film in history, and the fifth-highest-grossing film ever. Chinese companies are all busily mining classical texts for content. Studios in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia are seeing rising demand because they can offer top-drawer animations with much lower labor costs than places like Japan and South Korea. But Japan continues to appeal despite higher production costs because the quality is simply so good. The Digital Entertainment Summit doubled down on the region's animation gold rush. Under the theme 'Unlock Opportunities of the Dynamic Animation Market and Productions in Asia,' two panels dissected the ecosystem's rapid growth. The first, focused on market trends, brought together Catherine Ying (CMC Inc./Pearl Studio), Francesco Prandoni (Production I.G.), Kang Yue (Bilibili), and Mia Angelia Santosa (Visinema). The second highlighted creative and production outlooks, with speakers like Karyabudi Mohd. Aris (Les' Copaque Production Sdn.), Nao Hirasawa (ARCH Inc.), Polly Yeung (Point Five Creations), and Yu Zhou (Light Chaser Animation Studios) offering insights into a pipeline that's increasingly collaborative and tech-driven. Artificial Intelligence didn't just trend — it dominated. Hong Kong is very much focused on becoming an AI hub, so it's not surprising that FilMart featured a dedicated AI Hub to showcase cutting edge film production applications. Creatives are enthusiastic about how AI will impact on dubbing. It reduces the need for multiple voice actors and should cut back the time spent in post-production. Among Japanese animators, there is a feeling that studios have been slow to adopt AI options in general and the impact on creatives will be minimal. Sony Pictures hopes to use AI to cut production costs. At AI Hub, Sony unveiled a camera integrated with AI for automated framing and remote pan, tilt and zoom functions. Lenovo revealed a six-legged AI robodog equipped with autonomous learning and adaptive capabilities, designed for transporting cargo on challenging terrain. The debut of the AI Hub brought 10 exhibitors into focus, showcasing real-world applications of artificial intelligence across production, post-production, distribution, and promotional functions. More than 3,900 professionals engaged with the exhibition and interactive forums. A session, 'Gearing up for the AI Opportunities,' included presentations by Hong Li Animation Studios and Heguang Post-Production. Drawing on the massive success of 'Ne Zha 2,' speakers detailed how AI-powered special effects and automation were used in high-end animation and VFX pipelines. Liu Baoyu, vice general manager of Heguang, cautioned: 'We should make good use of AI while maintaining respect for traditional art.' Jihong Chen, partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm, added that AI proficiency is now 'crucial for staying competitive.' First-time participants this year included Armenia, Kazakhstan, and the Czech Republic, while buyers flew in from Argentina, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Bulgaria — extending the event's reach well beyond the usual Asia-Pacific and North American attendees. The 23rd Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum brought together 48 projects for dealmaking, with over 35 countries represented. Meanwhile, the on-site screenings featured 24 titles, including 10 world premieres, and the online IP Catalogue — listing 1,600+ projects — remains open through April. As Helen Sawczak, New South Wales' senior trade commissioner (Greater China), put it: 'FilMart offers the ideal stage to showcase NSW's creative excellence while fostering cross-border collaborations and opportunities.' From regional power shifts and cross-border co-financing to new tech and cultural innovation, FilMart 2025 reaffirmed its reputation as the region's most consequential market — not just for what gets announced, but for the momentum it builds. With Southeast Asia rising, AI going operational, and Asian animation accelerating, the story of Asia's screen industries is not only continuing — it's diversifying, digitizing, and daring to reach further than ever before. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
