Hong Kong FilMart 2025: Five Takeaways From Asia’s Recharged Global Content Market
FilMart highlighted co-productions, AI in film, Asian animation, and ASEAN market growth, reaffirming Hong Kong’s role as a global entertainment hub.
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.
Here are the top takeaways from this year’s edition.
1. ASEAN Presence Explodes as Southeast Asia Takes Center Stage
Popular on VarietyOne 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.
Stacey Dooley has opened up about her home life with her daughter Minnie and her partner Kevin Clifton, as the couple recently moved to Merseyside to be closer to her mum
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Sarah revealed why she has not had the chance to watch the series
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Adolescence dropped onto Netflix on March 13
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(660x422:662x424)/william-shatner-2-032124-ad8a905ee3f448e5a478c91ae2012507.jpg)
William Shatner tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement how he has celebrated his birthday in the same touching way over the past 35 years, as he marks his 94th birthday on Saturday, March 22.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(660x422:662x424)/william-shatner-2-032124-ad8a905ee3f448e5a478c91ae2012507.jpg&description=William Shatner Reveals the Touching Way He's Celebrated His Birthday for 35 Years as He Turns 94 (Exclusive) William Shatner tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement how he has celebrated his birthday in the same touching way over the past 35 years, as he marks his 94th birthday on Saturday, March 22. %23williamshatner) |
|
|
Are the prospects better or worse for millennials' retirements than for boomers or Gen Xers? Let's ask a bunch of millennials, shall we?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
“I had to go through a lot of therapy,” the “Girls Next Door” alum shared in a new podcast interview.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Emmerdale fans have predicted that a dead legend could be about to return from the grave as they are convinced that she "faked her own death"
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Are congratulations in order?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Former Impractical Jokers star Joe Gatto has reportedly been accused of sexually assaulting a content creator on TikTok when she was 19 years old.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Chilling four-part drama Adolescence tells the story of every parent's worst nightmare. But as reformed convict Stuart Hawkins knows from personal experience, the issues of violence and toxic masculinity are all too real and need to be addressed head-on
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Jade Goody left a heart-wrenching final message to her sons, Bobby and Freddy, before her tragic death from cervical cancer
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Prince Harry is in talks with Netflix about making a Diana documentary to mark the 30th anniversary of his mother's death in 2027.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Dichen Lachman spoke to Variety about Gemma's emotional journey throughout the 'Severance' Season 2 finale.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Early viewers of the Disney live-action remake have criticised Gadotâ??s vocal performance
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A post surfaced claiming to know the 'true story' behind Adolescence.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.