Funding News
Doha Film Institute (DFI) has awarded funding to 57 projects in its autumn 2025 funding round, including 10 projects by Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers. Filmmakers with projects that have received funding include Bassel Ghandour, who previously directed Theeb, Hinde Boujemaa (Noura’s Dream) and Ismaël El Iraki (Zanka Contact). With
Chinese-Speaking Markets
Hong Kong International Film Festival Society has selected 17 In-Development projects for this year’s HAF.
Chinese-Speaking Markets
Hong Kong and Macau’s box office continued their downwards slide in 2025, with ticket sales coming in at a combined $155m (HK$1.21bn), a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year, according to figures from Hong Kong Box Office. In 2024, Hong Kong’s total box office
Chinese-Speaking Markets
China’s box office increased by 22% to reach $7.4bn (RMB51.83bn) in 2025, compared to $5.8bn the previous year, according to figures from China Film Administration. Two animated titles topped the year-end top ten, raking in $2.8bn between them – Lunar New Year hit Ne Zha 2,
Festivals
Sigrid Bernardo’s I’m Perfect and Jun Robles Lana’s Call Me Mother were among the major winners at this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (December 25-January 7) in the Philippines. In a heartening win for representation, Krystel Go, an actress with Down’s Syndrome, was awarded Best
South Asia
It may be a challenging time for the Indian (and global) entertainment landscape – the threat of AI, consolidation, declining theatrical footfalls, lower budgets on streaming, fewer shows getting greenlit (take your pick) – but the Indian streaming landscape continues to offer some of the country’s finest storytelling. Hindi streaming shows,
Chinese-Speaking Markets
Zootopia 2 was the highest-grossing import at the China box office in 2025, grossing $627m (as of Feb 2, 2026) and ranking second in the year-end chart.
News
UPDATED DECEMBER 31: The list below highlights noteworthy Southeast Asian film projects that were completed and premiered at international film festivals in 2025. Nationality of the director is in brackets after their names, but nationality of the projects is harder to determine as most are multi-territory co-productions. AMOEBA Dir: Siyou
Africa
Industry execs and filmmakers, including Nigerian director-producer CJ ‘Fiery’ Obasi, discussed how African cinema is evolving through collaboration, as well as some of the challenges it faces, on a Souk Talks panel at Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF). Also speaking on the panel were Durban FilmMart (DFM) director Magdalene
Africa
Minnesota-based Somali filmmaker Mohammed Sheikh has just held the world premiere for his debut feature, Barni, which he filmed in Djibouti, at Red Sea International Film Festival. Born in the Kebribeyah refugee camp in Ethiopia – where his parents fled during the Somali Civil War – Sheikh moved to the US with
Southeast Asia
Funded by micro financing platform CARD MRI, the initiative aims to support storytellers from rural and working-class communities.
Korea & Japan
The Silver Yusr was awarded to 'All That’s Left Of You' from Cherien Dabis, while the Jury Prize went to 'Hijra' from Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen.