Streamlined Insights
After a relatively buoyant if not exemplary Cannes, this year’s autumn festival season is expected to be a bellwether of the current health of the global film industry. Do we still have an independent sales business? Do we have many strong awards contenders, despite Hollywood strikes and other disruptions?
Africa
UPDATED AUGUST 26: A list of films selected for Locarno, San Sebastian, Venice & Toronto from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Streamlined Insights
This week, I’m sharing an article I wrote for KoBiz about how Korean films are being received internationally since the pandemic. Since I wrote this, a few mid-budget Korean films have been performing relatively well at the local box office, including Pilot, Handsome Guys and Escape, which is
Streamlined Guides
Box office in the Philippines is still in recovery mode, registering a 51% year-on-year increase to $115m (PHP6.6bn) in 2023, but still around 60% below pre-pandemic levels. However, high attendance at recent editions of local film festivals, including last year’s QCinema and Metro Manila and
News
Malaysian filmmaker Chong Keat Aun's 'Snow In Midsummer' took the Uncaged Award at the close of this year's New York Asian Film Festival.
Festivals
Michael Fetter Nathansky's drama about a failing relationship took best film, screenplay and actress.
Streamlined Insights
Before signing off for a few weeks holiday, Streamlined is taking the temperature of the summer box office, along with a round-up of half-year box office results, in major Asian markets. There is so much drama currently going on in the world between wars, natural disasters, political unrest,
Festivals
'Sunday' was awarded the Grand Prize, while 'Stolen', directed by India's Karan Tejpal, took best director and the Audience Award.
Streamlined Guides
The Philippines’ film industry is best known internationally for crime thrillers and social issue films, which win awards on the international festival circuit, while its mainstream industry is known for romantic comedies that are distributed to the diaspora. But the country’s reputation for those genres does not do justice
Festivals
'The Last Stop In Yuma County' scooped the Best of Bucheon Award at this year’s BIFAN, while 'Esper’s Light' took the top award in Korean Fantastic: Features.
Chinese-Speaking Markets
Lau Kek-huat’s From Island To Island won the Grand Prize and Best Documentary at the Taipei Film Awards, while Old Fox took five prizes.
News
Kenneth Dagatan’s 'Molder' won the top Bucheon Award, while Le Hoang's 'The Heirloom' took the NAFF Award.
Streamlined Insights
One issue that comes up repeatedly in the conversations I’ve had with producers in Asia and the Middle East over the years is the difficulty of setting up co-productions between ‘established’ (usually meaning Western European) nations and ‘developing’ nations. Of course, there are other established film producing territories
Chinese-Speaking Markets
Asian New Director Award came with a cash prize of HK$100,000.
News
Non-profit founded by tech company inDrive is holding the second edition of its awards show in Indonesia in November 2024.
News
Four films have racked up seven nominations each: Abang Adik, Every You Every Me, In The Land Of Brothers and Betania.
Chinese-Speaking Markets
The Divorce took best film & actress in the main competition, while Friday, Funfair won best film in the Asian New Talent Awards.
Streamlined Insights
When Streamlined was launched two years ago, it came with a promise to cover Africa, swiftly followed by the realisation that a steep learning curve would be necessary before doing justice to the content industries of this huge and complex continent. One thing I’ve learned since launching Streamlined is