From May 12 to 23, 2026, the Cannes Film Festival hosts “Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026,” a collaborative effort by the Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the Hong Kong Film Development Council (FDC), the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The event aims to deepen industry exchange, expand co-production and investment opportunities, and reinforce Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and a regional intellectual property (IP) trading hub.
A key highlight, “Hong Kong Night” on May 16 at Majestic Beach, gathered around 600 international film professionals, including producers, distributors, investors, and film promotion organisations. The event connected global players with Hong Kong exhibitors, emerging producers, actors Carlos Chan and Natalie Hsu, and winning teams of the FDC’s Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms, fostering valuable international discussions and collaboration.
The Hong Kong Pavilion at the Marché du Film features prominent Hong Kong film companies such as Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures, Entertaining Power, Media Asia Film, and One Cool Film, alongside Fortune Star Media, Golden Network Asia, Mandarin Motion Pictures, and Blast Films. Exhibitors showcase latest productions including Edko Films’ Cold War 1994, the Chinese film Under Current (top opening box office of 2025), Entertaining Power’s The Fruitless Tree, Media Asia Film’s Twilight of the Warriors: The Final Chapter, and One Cool Film’s The Trier of Fact. These projects have attracted international producers, investors, and distributors, facilitating discussions on Hong Kong cinema’s creative trends and co-operation opportunities.
Anna Cheung, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “By co-organising ‘Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026’ once again with the CSTB, FDC and CCIDA during the Cannes Film Festival, the HKTDC helps the Hong Kong industry follow up on projects discussed at the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) held in March, and brings Hong Kong original works to overseas markets. We also support international screen productions in entering the Asian market via Hong Kong, reinforcing the city’s role as a vital bridge connecting Asian and the global markets.”
Participating companies reported that the Hong Kong Pavilion provided an effective platform for meetings with international buyers, with many receiving enquiries and collaboration invitations. Grace Chan, Head of Distribution at Entertaining Power Co. Limited, noted: “I bring the family-drama-themed title ‘The Fruitless Tree’. It is very important for me to meet every programmer from different film festivals. This is a really good bridge for us to come here and present a movie to everyone in the market especially film festival programmers.” Vanessa Lo, Vice President of Sales and Distribution at Media Asia, said: “Media Asia joined the Hong Kong Pavilion at this year’s Cannes market to seek partners for ‘Twilight of the Warriors: The Final Chapter’, and successfully established partnerships with buyers from multiple territories including France, Germany, Singapore and Vietnam, many of whom had previously collaborated on ‘Walled In’.” Mark Shaw, Director of Shaw Organisation, and Hang Trinh, Chief Executive Officer of Skyline Media, added: “The success of the ‘Twilight of the Warriors’ franchise stems from its strong cast, distinctly Hong Kong storytelling, and continued global demand for Hong Kong action cinema.”
The event also featured industry seminars and exchange activities. A seminar titled “Capital Flows & Co-Production Opportunities in Hong Kong, Asia and Beyond” explored funding trends and co-production opportunities. Another, “Hong Kong Power: The ground-breaking AI ecosystem building cinema, technology and research,” with representatives from Mei Ah Entertainment and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, discussed AI in film creation, production workflows, and talent development. The “Spotlight on Hong Kong: Pitching Session” introduced five emerging Hong Kong producers and their projects, along with award-winning teams from the FDC’s Content Development Scheme for Streaming Platforms, nurturing the next generation of Hong Kong film talent.
For the first time, “Hong Kong Cinema @ CANNES 2026” organized business matching meetings connecting the Hong Kong delegation with overseas producer delegations from international organisations including Cinecittà (Italy), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Telefilm Canada, CNC (France), Cinema do Brasil, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH (Germany), and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund. These meetings deepened long-term collaboration and promoted co-production and partnership opportunities between filmmakers worldwide and Hong Kong.
