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
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.
2. Producers Connect Sparks Co-Production Momentum
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.
3. Asian Animation Finds Its Global Voice
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.
4. AI Isn’t Just the Future — It’s Now
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.”
5. FilMart’s Global Map Gets Bigger (and Broader)
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.
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