Going Dutch (Again)

The International Film Festival Rotterdam has appointed Marten Rabarts to the position of head of IFFR Pro, its market strand, effective immediately. Recently, Rabarts served as festival director at the New Zealand International Film Festival. His extensive global career also has significant legacy in the Netherlands, both as head of Eye International (now SeeNL) – where he was responsible for the promotion of Dutch film and film culture worldwide for four years and as artistic director of the Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12 years. Rabarts will work closely with IFFR’s festival director, Vanja Kaludjercic, and report into chief of content, Melissa van der Schoor.

The IFFR Pro remit covers the co-production market CineMart, Pro Hub and talent development programs, including Rotterdam Lab. The festival regards it as nurturing talent and providing them with the tools and networks to develop projects and careers.

The 54th edition of IFFR will take place from Jan.

Legacy involves talent from Story Of Yanxi Palace, while Trinity Of Shadows is co-produced with Taiwan’s Catchplay and Hong Kong’s Viu.

WarnerMedia has unveiled two new HBO Asia original series, both Chinese-language productions – Legacy and Trinity Of Shadows – at the ongoing virtual Apos conference.

Legacy involves several talents from popular Chinese drama, Story Of Yanxi Palace, while Trinity Of Shadows is a co-production with Taiwan’s Catchplay and Hong Kong’s Viu TV.

Set in the 1920s, Legacy revolves around a wealthy family and its three sisters who vie to inherit their father’s shopping mall business.

The...

WarnerMedia unveiled a pair of Chinese-language original series for HBO Tuesday during the first day of Apos, Asia’s leading media and entertainment industry summit. The shows include period drama Legacy, created by the same team behind the blockbuster Chinese series Story of Yanxi Palace, and contemporary noir drama Trinity of Shadows, which is a co-production with Taiwanese streaming service CatchPlay.

Set in 1920s China, Legacy chronicles the lives of the wealthy Yi family and its three sisters who vie to inherit their father’s business empire. In a time of upheaval and uncertainty, the three sisters set aside their differences to keep the business ...

WarnerMedia unveiled a pair of Chinese-language original series for HBO Tuesday during the first day of Apos, Asia’s leading media and entertainment industry summit. The shows include period drama Legacy, created by the same team behind the blockbuster Chinese series Story of Yanxi Palace, and contemporary noir drama Trinity of Shadows, which is a co-production with Taiwanese streaming service CatchPlay.

Set in 1920s China, Legacy chronicles the lives of the wealthy Yi family and its three sisters who vie to inherit their father’s business empire. In a time of upheaval and uncertainty, the three sisters set aside their differences to keep the business ...

Initial strategy focuses on Chinese, Korean and “hyper local” content.

Long before Covid-19 brought the world to a shuddering halt, Chinese streamer iQiyi had started plotting its international expansion. Those plans began with the launch of an international app in June 2019 and a partnership with Malaysian media giant Astro towards the end of the year.

Focusing initially on Southeast Asia, iQiyi picked up the pace this year by establishing five offices in key markets across the region and appointing former Netflix executive, Kuek Yu-Chuang, as vice president, international business. It also made its international service available through browsers (www.iq.

Human: China’s HiShow Unveils ‘Game Changer’ Production Slate at FilMart

URL: HiShow Unveils ‘Game Changer’ at FilMart

Seo Head: HiShow Unveils ‘Game Changer’ at FilMart

Key phrase: HiShow Unveils ‘Game Changer’ at FilMart

By Vivienne Chow

China’s HiShow Entertainment has unveiled a slate of new productions ahead of the first online edition of Hong Kong FilMart. Its lineup includes the highly-anticipated series “Game Changer.”

Scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter this year, “Game Changer” is one of a handful of mainland Chinese drama series that tells a contemporary urban story, with “fast-paced American-style” storytelling that is intended to appeal to overseas audiences, according to Wang Haiyi, HiShow’s head of the international business.

Starring heartthrob Huang Xiaoming as a journalist-turned-publicist alongside Tan Zhuo, Cai Wenjing and Zhang Bo, the 40-episode series dives into the world of public relations with stories revolving around the crisis management arm of a PR firm.

Richie Mehta’s harrowing Netflix series “Delhi Crime” was the big winner at the 2nd annual Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore on Friday.

Representing the show, lead actress Shefali Shah was rushed off her feet as she repeatedly had to return to the stage. “Delhi Crime” earned her best actress in a leading role, best drama series and best direction, and fiction, for Mehta. Earlier, the series also won best original program by a streamer/Ott on the first night of the two-day awards.

Shah was also on stage, at Singapore’s beautifully restored historical Victoria theatre to present the inaugural award for best feature film, that went to her compatriot Zoya Akhtar’s Indian Oscar submission “Gully Boy.” Indian animated show, “Lamput,” produced for Cartoon Network was also among the winners.

Indonesian Oka Antara won best actor in a leading role for Hooq’s “Brata,” while Jamie Aditya...

Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts is set to boost its Ott platforms locally and abroad with new packages and initiatives targeting the Southeast Asian market.

The city’s biggest broadcaster has also renewed its partnership with China’s Huanyu Entertainment following the wild success the two enjoyed last year with palace drama “Story of Yanxi Palace.” The new new deal is for series “Court Lady,” starring “Palace” actor Xu Kai.

“Story of Yanxi Palace” last year became the most searched for TV show on Earth on Google. The romantic period drama is expected to be available in five markets in North America and Southeast Asia, besides Hong Kong, said Felix To, Tvb’s deputy general manager, program and production.

In another deal announced at FilMart on Monday, Tvb’s overseas Ott platform Tvb Anywhere will team up with Vietnamese mobile operator Vietnamobile to launch a version in the Vietnamese language.

Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts is set to boost its Ott platforms locally and abroad with new packages and initiatives targeting the Southeast Asian market.

The city’s biggest broadcaster has also renewed its partnership with China’s Huanyu Entertainment following the wild success the two enjoyed last year with court rivalry drama “Story of Yanxi Palace.” The new new deal is for series “Court Lady,” starring “Palace” actor Xu Kai.

In another deal announced at FilMart on Monday, Tvb’s overseas Ott platform Tvb Anywhere will team up with Vietnamese mobile operator Vietnamobile to launch a version in the Vietnamese language. It is the second territory equipped with a completely localized version after Thailand, which was launched earlier this year.

Desmond Chan, general manager of Tvb Intl., told Variety that the company is also cooking up new expansion plans for North America and Europe, to be announced later.

Tvb...

Vin Diesel’s upcoming “xXx 4” has been set as part of an expanded Hollywood-China partnership between The H Collective and Chinese streaming giant iQIYI.

Under a three-film agreement, iQIYI will also invest in horror pic “The Beast,” from H Collective president of production Sherryl Clark, and a currently untitled Manga project.

The two companies already have a three-picture co-production pact. The new agreement expands it to a six-film deal.

Los Angeles-based H Collective, which was established last year, seeks to develop and produce films that can be equally profitable in China and the rest of the world.

Action comedy “Counter Spy,” written by former Marvel executive Craig Kyle from an original draft by David Rothenberg and Lionel Enns, is expected to be the first film flowing from the H Collective-iQIYI deal. Production is slated to begin in early 2019.

Earlier this year, the H Collective acquired the “xXx” franchise...