NEWS


Assassins lands home with Well Go USA


BY SEN-LUNYU Arclight Films has sold its Chow Yun-fat-starrer The Assassins to Well Go USA for North America. Directed by Chinese first-time


film-maker Zhao Linshan and backed by China’s Enlight Pictures and Changchun Film Group, The Assassins stars Chow, Crystal Liu Yifei and Alex Su and tells the story of controversial hero/tyrant general Cao Cao in the 3rd century in China. Arclight’s Asian label Eastern-


light has also picked up the Chi- nese remake of Dangerous Liaisons, starring Zhang Ziyi, Korean star Jang Dong-gun and Hong Kong’s Cecilia Cheung. Directed by Korea’s Hur Jin-ho, Dangerous Liaisons is scripted by well-known Chinese author Yan Geling and is backed by Beijing’s Zonbo Media. Other Chinese


films handled by Easternlight are The Four , directed by Gordon Chan and star- ring Crystal Liu Yifei and Deng Chao, and White Vengeance starring Leon Lai and William Feng.


Chow Yun-fat in The Assassins


Malaysia to introduce 30% production rebate


BY LIZ SHACKLETON The Malaysian government is set to introduce a rebate scheme for local and international films shooting in Malaysia. Foreign films that spend $1.7m


or more while filming in the coun- try will be able to claim back 30% of their spend. Local films that spend $800,000 or more will also be able to claim back 30%. The expenses of the productions will be audited by the relevant authori- ties before the rebate is given. The move is designed to boost


Malaysia’s production industry and bring international films into the country, which will open the Pine- wood Iskandar Studios in 2013.


Datuk MDAfendi B Datuk Hamdan “The incentive should bring


benefits including the transfer of technological know-how, more jobs for local talent and is also good for tourism,” said Datuk MD Afendi B Datuk Hamdan, chair- man of Malaysia’s National Film Development Corp (FINAS).


Malaysia is also planning to


launch a contents market and locations showcase, the Kuala Lumpur Communications and Content Indust ry Market (KLCCIM), which has the tenta- tive dates of November 16-18. The Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival will be rebranded and moved to the same time of year. FINAS and promotional agency


GCMA are hosting a delegation of more than 30 Malaysian content sellers here at Filmart. GCMA also announced Kuala Lumpur-based Animasia Studio is planning to release an animated feature based on its popular television series Bola Kampung by the end of the year.


Sonamu grabs Bunohan for Korea


BY LIZ SHACKLETON Korea’s Sonamu Pictures has acquired action drama Bunohan — directed by Malaysian film- maker Dain Iskandar Said — from Easternlight Films. The film, which pre-


miered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, was produced by the US’s Convergence Entertainment and Malaysia’s Apparat. It was previously sold to Universal Pictures for a slew of territories includ-


First Time for Edko, Irresistible


BY LIZ SHACKLETON Hong Kong’s Edko Films and Irre- sistible Films are launching sales on romantic love story First Time, starring Angelababy (Hot Summer Days) and Mark Chao (Monga), here in Filmart. The two stars previously


worked together on Taiwanese hit Black And White. Their new col- laboration, directed by Han Yan (The Tropic Of Cancer), is produced by Ivy Ho and Bill Kong for a budget of $3m. Edko Films’ sales chief June Wu is handling interna- tional sales. Edko is also selling romantic


comedy Love Is Not Blind, pro- duced by Beijing-based Perfect World, which was a huge sleeper hit in China last year grossing $52m (RMB330m). The company’s Filmart slate also includes Irresistible Films pro-


ductions Nightfall and Cold War. Nightfall is a crime thriller, directed by Roy Hin-yeung Chow and starring Nick Cheung and Simon Yam, which opened in Hong Kong last weekend and grossed $850,000 (HK$6.58m) in four days. Cold War, directed by Longman Leung and Sunny Luk, is a police action film starring Aaron Kwok and Tony Leung Ka- fai. Currently in post-production, Cold War is scheduled for a sum- mer 2012 release.


ing the UK, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand. Oscilloscope Pictures recently


picked up North American rights to the film, which were handled jointly by Easternlight and Los Angeles-based sales agent Trac- tion Media. Convergence also announced


that Hong Kong actress Kara Hui will star in supernatural horror feature Nuptials Of The Dead, written and to be directed by Maya Lim. Hui won best actress at the 2009 Golden Horse Awards and the 2010 Hong Kong Film


Louis Fan at yesterday’s Filmart press conference for Patrick Leung’s Wu Dang, in which Fan stars with Vincent Chiu, Dennis To and Mini Yang. Mei Ah Entertainment is selling here.


AFCNet prepares for board meeting Nightfall n 4 Screen International at Filmart March 20, 2012


BY JEAN NOH The Asian Film Commissions Net- work (AFCNet) is holding this year’s first board meeting today here at Filmart. The agenda will feature issues such as new mem- bership approval, awards, establish- ing an AFCNet ASEAN committee, PR and marketing strategies, and


an ASEAN-ROK Cooperation Project. The film commissions and locations support organisation has 46 members from 17 countries including the Busan Film Commis- sion, Japan Film Commission, Aus- tralia’s Film Gold Coast, and the Bali Film Center where Oliver Stone recently wrapped Savages.


Awards for her role in At The End Of Daybreak. Nuptials Of The Dead, which will


also star Collin Chou, is scheduled to start shooting in Kuala Lumpur in August. Based on a short Lim wrote and directed, the Chinese- language feature revolves around the concept of the ancient Chinese practice of ‘ghost marriages’. Convergence is co-producing


Nuptials with Apparat, and Lee Tae-hun of Korea’s Opus Pictures serves as executive producer. Dis- tribution Workshop is handling international sales.


Dark Flight 3D


Buyers take Five Star’s


Dark Flight Thailand’s Five Star Production has closed a slew of deals on horror picture Dark Flight 3D including a sale to KSM for the UK and German-speaking territories and to Color Entertainment for Japan. The film has also been sold to


Encore Films for Hong Kong, Deepjoy Picture Corporation for Taiwan, Clover Films for Singapore and Malaysia, PT Inter Solusindo Film for Indonesia and Filmworks for Cambodia. Hong Kong’s Digital Magic


handled the 3D on the film, which is the first major 3D horror picture from Thailand. Directed by Issara Nadee from


a story by Kongkiat Komesiri, it revolves around a flight attendant who survives a plane crash but later finds herself working on the same plane. The film opens in Thailand on March 22. Five Star is also selling Tai —


a Muay Thai action film also written by Kongkiat and directed by well-known Thai producer Sirisak Koshpasharin (Fireball) — and romantic drama First Kiss. Liz Shackleton


PiFan’s It Project sets May 1 deadline


BY JEAN NOH The Puchon International Fantas- tic Film Festival (PiFan) has made a call for submissions to its genre projects market, It Project. Covering genres including hor-


ror, thriller, action and sci-fi, It Project’s previous selections include Korean director Yeon Sang-ho’s animation King Of Pigs (formerly King Of Swine) which premiered at Busan and had an acclaimed theatrical release in Korea. Singaporean director Li Lin Wee’s Forever had a successful release in Singapore and Malaysia after a double world premiere at Cairo and Jakarta. PiFan offers cash and post-production support. The submission deadline is May 1.


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