‘A Ghost in the Market,’ ‘Somewhere in the South’ and ‘38.83’ Share Honors at Evenly Spread Hong Kong Project Awards

The honors were evenly distributed at the 2026 Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) awards with three film projects winning two prizes each and several others picking up one award apiece.

The event concluded with the announcement of Asian Stories – Next Gen, a new feature film initiative.

Chin Chia-Hua’s Taiwan drama “A Ghost in the Market,” Tan Ce Ding’s Malaysia political satire “Somewhere in the South” and Vincci Cheuk’s Hong Kong-Japan drama “38.83” each won two prizes.

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In his opening remarks, Dr. Wilfred Wong, chair of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, reflected on the forum’s impact. “Having been the chair of HKIFF for over 20 years, I didn’t realize until now that we have facilitated the completion of over 250 films,” Wong said. “This just illustrates what you have all helped to achieve. It is you, the filmmakers, who made it happen.”

The forum received over 500 submissions from 70 countries and selected 46 projects. HAF facilitated over 1,300 meetings during its March 17–19 run at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre alongside the 30th FilMart. Thailand’s Kantana Holdings and mainland China’s Phenom Films joined as first-time sponsors, contributing to the $360,000 total prize pool across 25 awards.

HAF 2025 AWARDS LIST

HAF WIP Grand Prize (Hong Kong), a cash prize of HK$100,000 ($12,800). “Good Trip” by Norris Wong Yee-lam and Wong Hoi. Producer: Mabel Cheung Yuen-ting – A film art assistant and her cancer-stricken father embark on an unexpected road journey from Hong Kong to Macau to Okinawa, bringing closure before his peaceful death.

HAF WIP Grand Prize (Non-Hong Kong), a cash prize of HK$100,000 ($12,800). “The Sea Speaks His Name (Laut Bercerita)” by Yosep Anggi Noen. Producers: Gita Fara, Budi Setyarso, Leila S. Chudori – In 1998 Indonesia, a university student joins an underground activist movement and vanishes; his family never abandons the search for truth amid the country’s dark history of military crackdowns.

HAF IDP Grand Prize (Hong Kong), a cash prize of HK$100,000 ($12,800). “38.83” by Vincci Cheuk. Producer: Koga Shunsuke – A 38-year-old woman and her 83-year-old grandmother reconnect through a trip to Japan that revisits World War II experiences and rediscovers their emotional bond.

HAF IDP Grand Prize (Non-Hong Kong), a cash prize of HK$100,000 ($12,800). “Vulnerable Observer” by Jiang Xiaoxuan. Producer: Zhao Ziyang – An ambitious anthropology PhD student conducting fieldwork in Mongolia discovers she is merely a fragile observer when academic objectivity clashes with reality.

SkyFilm Animation Award, a cash prize of HK$100,000 ($12,800). “The Excreman – On the Road” by Brian Tse. Producer: Samuel Choy – An animated road movie following the titular character’s journey.

HAF X CNC Award, a cash prize of EUR 10,000 ($10,900). “Fishers of Men” by Sanju Surendran. Producers: Pramod Sankar, Rajeev Ravi, Kiran Kesav – A vegetarian banker accidentally breaks his dietary code by eating fish, becomes obsessively fixated, and eventually abandons his career and family to live as a fish-obsessed mendicant by the coast.

Red Sea Fund Award, a cash prize of $10,000. “A Ghost in the Market” by Chin Chia-Hua. Producer: Eva Wang – A market vendor beaten to death by her gambling husband mysteriously continues her daily routine the next day, her body gradually decomposing.

Taipei Film Commission Award, a cash prize of HK$50,000 ($6,400). “Mama Mia Let Me Go!” by Cheung Wai-yu. Producer: Peter Yam – A woman desperate to escape cramped living with her controlling mother arranges a young Korean boyfriend for her to break the family’s emotional stranglehold.

La Fontaine Award, a prize including cash and in-kind worth HK$100,000 ($12,800). “Life is Yours” by Emma Kawawada. Producers: Takahashi Naoya, Eiko Mizuno-Gray – A 71-year-old resort cleaner seeks revenge against foreign developers over her husband’s death and lost land at a Niseko ski resort.

Kantana Award – Virtual Production, an in-kind prize worth $87,500. “38.83” by Vincci Cheuk. Producer: Koga Shunsuke.

Kantana Award – DI Post-Production, an in-kind prize worth $25,000. “A Ghost in the Market” by Chin Chia-Hua. Producer: Eva Wang.

Kantana Award – Sound Post-Production, an in-kind prize worth $25,000. “A Vampire, Probably” by Ken Yang. Producer: Lin Ming-Chih – A teen drawn to death learns body restoration at a funeral home after release from prison, exchanging secrets with his hidden guardian to satisfy his bloodlust.

Aputure Award, an in-kind prize worth HK$300,000 ($38,600). “Heading South” by Yuan Yuan. Producer: Wang Jing – A Mongolian girl obsessed with K-pop dance joins her school team, gradually moving toward urban life while drifting from her grassland home, family and friends.

Phenom Films Award, an in-kind prize worth $38,500. “Roxanne” by Chen Xudong. Producers: Lu Xiaowei, Chen Xiaoran.

Pica Pica Media Post-Production Award, an in-kind prize worth $30,000. “Somewhere in the South” by Tan Ce Ding. Producers: Anthony Chen, Edward Lim, Yap Khai Soon – During a sudden by-election, a forgotten small town becomes the national spotlight; Ah Wen reluctantly becomes a party mascot in a tiger costume in this black political satire.

White Light Post-Production Award (IDP), an in-kind prize worth $15,000. “The Funeral March” by Fujita Naoya. Producers: Shiina Yasushi, Aiken Zou, Zou Lin, Fujita Kanako – A reclusive woman living in Hokkaido snow country steals her mother’s body after her death to honor her burial wishes, embarking on a road journey.

White Light Post-Production Award (WIP), an in-kind prize worth $15,000. “A Thousand Stars in the Galactic Night” by Shu Hui. Producers: Wang Hongwei, Lyu Hang – A young woman’s boyfriend mysteriously disappears; while searching, she discovers her own secret that empowers her to break free from fate and reclaim control of her life.

Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award, where the winner gets invited to NAFF 2026. “Strange Root (Keinginan)” by Lam Li Shuen. Producers: Tan Bee Thiam, Looi Wan Ping, Mark Chua.

Udine Focus Asia Award, where the winner gets invited to Udine to participate in Focus Asia. “Somewhere in the South” by Tan Ce Ding. Producers: Anthony Chen, Edward Lim, Yap Khai Soon.

Fantastic 7 Award, enabling participation at Cannes 2026. “The Veil” by Gabriel Motta. Producer: Aleteia Selonk.

Under the HAF Goes to Cannes program, five work-in-progress projects are selected to attend the Cannes market with travel subsidies of HK$10,000 ($1,280) each. This year they are “Farewell My Blue Bird” by Zhang Tao (producer: Tong Siyu), “Good Trip,” “The Excreman – On the Road,” “The Sea Speaks His Name (Laut Bercerita)” and “Will You Still Be My Friend” by Lu Po-Shun (producer: Su Yu-Hao).

HAF announced the 2026 Asian Short Film Fund mentors: Lav Diaz, Oh Jungwan and Yeh Jufeng from Nowness Asia. Selected projects will receive up to $35,000 in funding plus mentorship support for script development and production.

The forum also unveiled Asian Stories – Next Gen, a new feature film initiative partnering with carry on film to provide 1.5 million RMB (approximately $218,000) across three projects. The first project “Evil Water Boy” by Wang Jie with executive producer Shuang Xuetao was revealed. The call for two additional projects opens April 30.