The financing arm of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) namely the HAF has shortlisted 28 films for its in-development projects (IDP) initiative, which is an Asian films financing platform designed for projects that are in their early stages of development. HAF 2022 is expected to take place from 14th March to 16 March 2022.
Out of the 28 films from various regions like Mainland China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Iran, Thailand, and Malaysia shortlisted for the 2022 edition of Hong Kong – Asia Financing Forum (HAF), three Indian films namely ‘Insectum’, ‘The Partner’, and ‘Travellers’ have also been selected for HAF’s forthcoming 20th-anniversary edition.
About the 3 Indian films:
Insectum
Helmed by Bhaskar Hazarika (Aamis, Kothanodi), the film’s unique plotline revolves around a 27-year-old man named Gagan, who is the breadwinner of his poverty-stricken family. When Gagan starts showing insect-like behavior, his family members get emotionally detached from him and eventually decide to abandon him in the jungle.
The Partner
Directed by Nithin Lukose and co-produced by maverick filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, this Malayalam language drama is set amidst the backdrop of communal riots in a secluded village in Kerala. When the religious tensions escalate in their village, a Hindu boy Saneesh hides his Muslim lover Salma in his house in order to protect her from the violence.
Travellers
In this Indo-French production directed by Pierre Filmon, the story is about two strangers on the run – an Indian woman named Mansi and a French man Marc who accidentally meet in Varanasi and their contrasting experiences on the same journey.