New Delhi (NVI): In light of the travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the HKTDC Hong Kong International Film Expo ‘FILMART’, one of the Asia’s biggest international film festivals, is going online this year and will be held from August 26 to 29.
Presented by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), FILMART Online’s aim is to creating business opportunities for the global entertainment industry in the face of a challenging business environment.
For the virtual iteration of FILMART Expo, a number of a number of new features are being introduced this year which includes dedicated web pages for exhibitors to showcase their company profiles and productions along with a virtual screening platform, equipped with digital rights management (DRM) encryption and an individual watermark, to ensure that authorised buyers can enjoy film previews with ease.
In addition to this, the Film Expo will also use big data and artificial intelligence technologies to enhance the search function, making it more efficient for buyers to find their desired film and television productions.
FILMART is set to attract more than 600 exhibitors from 36 countries and regions, including new joiners from Argentina, Brazil, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and Israel.
Major film production companies from Hong Kong, China, India and the rest of the world will continue to give their support for the virtual version of Asia’s largest content trading platform, with more than 2,000 of the latest film and television productions being released and promoted.
The big names from Indian entertainment industry to take part in the FILMART 2020 includes Zee TV, Cinestan AA Distributor, Venus India, Star Entertainment, Indiacast, Klay Entertainment and Toonz Animation.
The Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), an Asian film financing platform, will also participate in FILMART Online, continuing its efforts to create business exchange opportunities for film industry participants by exhibiting 32 HAF film projects currently in the development stage and 22 work-in-progress film projects.
Speaking on taking the event online, Rajesh Bhagat, Consultant South Asia, Hong Kong Trade Development Council said, “The novel coronavirus pandemic has impacted various industries across the globe, including the film and entertainment industry. FILMART Online will address industry concerns over the current uncertainties by organising six online conferences focusing on how industry players can adapt to an ever-changing market by redeploying their content acquisition, and by highlighting the latest production and marketing strategies”
Other topics being covered at the conference include the latest trends in streaming platforms across the Asia Pacific region, and insights into the development of interactive entertainment content.
-CHK
