CO-PRODUCTION PROTOCOL
Dynamic Singaporean producerJeremy Chua is to receive theFIAPF Award forOutstanding Contribution to Asia Pacific Cinema, at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) on Nov. 3 on Australia’s Gold Coast.In the nine years since founding his company Potocol, Chua has focused on international co-production of Asian films and telling Asia stories.
Two of his most recent films, Indonesian director Makbul Mubarak’s “Autobiography” and Vietnamese feature debutant Thien An Pham’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” are their country’s respective Oscar contenders. In 2021 Chua produced Bangladesh’s first film in Cannes “Rehana,” while at the most recent Busan International Film Festival he premiered Singapore-Japan co-venture “Last Shadow at First Light” and Thailand’s “Doi Boy.” At Busan’s Asian Project Market, his Philippines-set “Filipinana” was the outstanding development work, walking away with three prizes.
At APSA, Chua will take part in a producers’ round table discussion and also mentor Kazakh filmmaker Amir Amenov, developing his directorial project“Warm Night, Cold Beer” as part of the Asia Pacific Screen Lab.
OPENING NIGHT
“The Buckingham Murders,” directed by Hansal Mehta, produced by Ektaa R Kapoor, and co-produced by Indian actor and star Kareena Kapoor Khan, has been set as the opening film of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Having had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival earlier this month, it will now play on Oct. 27 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.
The U.K.-set story follows cop and single mother Jasmeet Bhamra (Kapoor Khan), who recently lost her child in a shooting spree, as she transfers to a market town north of London and is assigned the case of a missing child. International sales will be handled by Madhu Entertainment.
The 2023 edition will be the first in-person edition of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in three years. It runs Oct. 27-Nov. 5.
BIGGER PICTURE
Malaysia’s Golden Screen Cinemas has struck a deal to open six Imax with Laser cinema systems. The agreement will see five new locations, including the ultra-luxe Aurum TRX in Kuala Lumpur and one upgrade to the Southkey Megamall location in IOI City Mall. The deal will bring the total number of Imax locations with GSC to nine, all with laser systems and expected to be open by 2027.
“This creates greater opportunities for us to showcase locally produced content in premium movie formats,” said Koh Mei Lee, CEO of GSC. The first Malaysian-made Imax film “Malbatt: Misi Bakara” released in August this year. “With the strong performance of ‘Avatar,’ ‘Oppeneimer’ and now local language content, Malaysia has been an incredible success story for Imax this year — underscoring our growth potential across international markets and the diversity of ways cinema is thriving worldwide,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax Corp.
FAST FORWARD
QYOU Media India has entered a partnership withBollywood Hungamato launch a new connected TV channel calledBH Live TV Powered by QYOU Media. The new channel marks the addition of Bollywood content to QYOU Media India’s multi-genre ‘Free Ad-Supported Television’ (FAST) channels content library. They say that it combines the power of both companies in social media and Bollywood Hungama’s statusas the world’s most widely visited Bollywood portal.
BH Live TV Powered by QYOU Mediawill be exclusively available on the Q Play+ app along with smart TV platforms including Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Fire TV, Xiaomi, TCL and One Plus.
PRIZE POOL
The prize pool for the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion market has exceeded TWD8 million ($248,000) for the first time, organizers said on Tuesday. The final stage jury has also been announced as comprising Chen Yi-wen, Jeffrey Chan and Winnie Tsang. The 2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion will take place from Nov. 20 – 22, with the awards ceremony to be held on Nov. 22 at Taipei New Horizon.
