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Beverley McGarvey has been appointed president of Network 10, head of streaming and regional lead for Australia and New Zealand, with immediate effect by Paramount Global. She reports to Pam Kaufman, president & CEO of international markets, global consumer products and experiences at the group. The role gives her oversight of Network 10 and its portfolio of brands, including 10 Play.

McGarvey will maintain her current responsibilities, overseeing all original content out of Australia in alignment with Paramount’s global studio organisation and the businesses’ commercial capabilities. She will also continue to lead Paramount+ in Australia, reporting to Marco Nobili, EVP and international Gm of Paramount+.

“Beverley is one of Australia’s leading media executives and has a proven track record of driving creative and commercial success in one of our most important, priority markets,” said Kaufman.

“We are well-positioned to maintain our strong position in Australia as the only...

Hong Kong’s Filmart content market has for 27 years positioned itself as both the largest of its kind in Asia and the most influential, what with its hundreds of exhibitors from the far reaches of the region and its seminars which seek to chart the course of the industry’s future.

But for three years — like most of the pandemic-hit world — Filmart lay mostly dormant, in a physical sense at least, forced online due to circumstance and safety almost at the very moment in 2020 that Bong Joon-ho’s phenomenal Oscars success with the dark, dystopian comedy Parasitehad fixed the global industry’s focus on Asian storytelling, and Asian talent.

But this week – from March 13-16– Filmart returns to its home at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and its 27th edition is again appearing in physical form, with guests converging over the past few days, and (almost) all signs...

At previous in-person editions of Filmart, Hong Kong’s major film companies, including Edko Films, Emperor Motion Pictures (Emp), One Cool Group, Universe Films and Media Asia, always anchored the trade show floor with huge, elaborate booths promoting the latest Hong Kong films, animation and TV series.

Despite a difficult few years, during which they’ve had to navigate Covid-related cinema closures, stringent travel restrictions and Hong Kong’s political upheaval, all these companies and more are re-erecting their stalls at the first physical edition of Filmart in three years, and even have some good news to share.

Just last week, Edko Films’ legal drama A Guilty Conscience, starring Dayo Wong as a sharp-tongued barrister defending a single mother against ruthless tycoons, became the first Hong Kong film ever to gross more than Hk$100M (US$12.7M) at the local box office. The film is also currently topping the mainland China box office,...

Consent, complexity and consistency defined Hong Kong cinema’s rather interesting start to 2023. First, the local box office continues to see impressive returns, which while still may not be the same as pre-pandemic levels, shows sustained interest from moviegoers. Box-office revenues reached over $50 million over the Lunar New Year, as Variety reported, with A Guilty Conscience, the courtroom drama directed by Wai Lun-Ng becoming the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of all time, earning over Hkd 82 million ($10 million). It’s also the awards season, with nominees to the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards announced in early February. One of those nominated for Best Film, the documentary To My Nineteen-Year-Old-Self, withdrew from the race, however, though directors Mabel Cheung and William Kwok Wai-lun are still in the running for best director.…...

Milestone has only previously been surpassed by Hollywood blockbusters.

Courtroom drama A Guilty Conscience has made history at the Hong Kong box office as the first local film ever to reach Hk$100m ($12.75m), a figure only previously achieved by Hollywood tentpoles.

The feature from first-time director Jack Ng reached the milestone on February 21, just 32 days after its release on January 21 – the eve of Chinese New Year.

Only a handful of Hollywood films have previously hit Hk$100m at the Hong Kong box office, with recent titles including Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water. Others include Marvel...

Spring has arrived.

For the Hong Kong film industry, the harsh three-year-long winter of the Covid era — with multiplexes forced to close for extended periods, industry professionals losing their livelihoods, and an indifferent administration that didn’t deign to lift a finger to help this once-mighty cultural industry that put the auteurs from the tiny former colony into the annals of global cinematic history — has finally come to an end.

Despite cinemas reopening their doors only in April 2022, two Hong Kong-made films released in late 2022, Warriors of Future and Table for Six, have become the top-grossing local productions of all time, taking in 10.5 million and 10 million in Hong Kong, respectively. And a third, A Guilty Conscience, released this January, is now the highest-earning Hong Kong film ever, grossing 11 million in its first three weeks of release. Hongkongers have rediscovered their love for homegrown films that tell stories they can relate to,...

Cinema box office in Hong Kong rebounded over the recent Chinese New Year holiday period. They failed to recover to pre-pandemic levels, but local titles performed strongly.

Data from Hong Kong Box Office Limited showed gross revenues between Saturday and Tuesday amounted to HK50.89 million (6.52 million). That is a 19 improvement on the equivalent four-day period in 2020, when Covid was just starting to arrive in the city and revenues fell to HK42.89 million (5.50 million). But the number was still 17 below the 2019 figure of HK61.47 million (7.88 million).

Cinemas in the territory were closed during Lunar New Year holidays in both 2021 and 2022 due to the government’s anti-covid measures.

Unlike mainland China, Hong Kong has no film import quotas and does not operate blackout periods when foreign films cannot be released. The holiday period chart for Hong Kong contains a mix of local, U.S. and Japanese and none of the films that...

Titles include ‘A Guilty Conscience’, ‘Everything Under Control’ and ‘Say I Do To Me’.

In Hong Kong, local films A Guilty Conscience and Everything Under Control are set to open tomorrow (January 21) on the eve of Chinese New Year while Donnie Yen’s Sakra and Kiwi Chow’s Say I Do To Me are also joining the festive race.

It marks the first year since 2020 that Hong Kong cinemas can open for business during the lucrative holiday period, following two consecutive years of blackout due to the Covid pandemic that led to cancellations both in the city and overseas markets that scheduled day-and-date releases.

Riding on the box office success in Hong Kong of its “Table for Six,” Edko Films, the production, distribution and exhibition conglomerate headed by Bill Kong (“Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”), is launching a trio of new titles at the American Film Market this week.

One titles is courtroom drama “A Guilty Conscience,” which follows the aftermath of a manslaughter case in which a barrister’s mistake lands his supermodel client in jail. The path to an appeal, however, seems like justice itself is on trial.

Writer and director Jack Ng is making his feature directing debut on the drama; his track record as a writer that includes Edko’s 2021 hit “Anita” and “Cold War II.” The company’s confidence is such that the picture is set as Edko’s biggest title for the crucial Chinese New Year slot. It stars Dayo Wong and Louise Wong (“Anita”).

Eric Tsang Hing Wen...

Before embarking for the land of blockbusters with his last two movies, which made his name known all around the world, Dante Lam had quite a significant career behind him, with a number of great titles under his belt. “Beast Stalker” is definitely one of them.

Beast Stalker is screening at the 17th New York Asian Film Festival

Sergeant Tang Fei is the leader of a police team. He is very skilled but also too strict towards his subordinates, who are yelled at and receive negative reports each time they make the slightest mistake. During a mission of capturing wanted criminal Zhang Yidong, him and his right-hand, Sun get drawn into a car chase that ends in true tragedy, during a triple car accident that ends with the criminal in coma, Sun crippled, and public prosecutor Ann Gao’s little daughter dead, slain by the bullets of Tang Fei.

The...

Rock-dumb Hong Kong thriller That Demon Within is exhausting, and only sometimes batshit enough to be engaging. Popular action filmmaker Dante Lam (The Beast Stalker, Stool Pigeon) never capitalizes on the exciting conceit he and co-writer Wai Lun Ng have come up with to introduce Dave Wong (Daniel Wu), a psychologically disturbed cop.

Through narration addressed to no one particular, Dave resolutely but vaguely explains that his police uniform shields him from the fears that define him. He only announces this after Hon (Nick Cheung), a thief, is shown praying to demons and donning a mask before his next heist. That juxtaposition is tantalizing: Like Dave, Hon treats his work clothes as armor.

Their connection is further confirmed when Dave gives ...

The 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards is expected to be a hell of a show with some great films going head to head. Leading the way with nominations is The Grand Master with 14, followed by Unbeatable (Dante Lam).

There were complaints last year, that the show didn’t live up to expectations, mainly due to the fact the movie Cold Wars, won nearly every award. Best actor award see the likes of these guys going head to head, Tony Leung (The Grandmaster), Louis Koo (The White Storm) and also Anthony Wong (Ip Man: The Final Fight).

Take a look at the list and comment who you think will win. The winners will be announced on April 13.

Best Film:

- The Grandmaster

- Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

- The Way We Dance

- The White Storm

- Unbeatable

Best Director:

- Wong Kar Wai (The Grandmaster)

- Johnnie To...

Sniper

Stars: Richie Ren, Xiaoming Huang, Edison Chen, Wei Tung, Bowie Lam, Kai Chi Liu | Written by Dante Lam, Wai Lun Ng | Directed by Dante Lam

When ex-Hong Kong police sharpshooter Lincoln (Xiaoming) is released from prison after serving time for the alleged manslaughter of a kidnapper during a hostage situation he has only one thing on his mind: revenge on those responsible for putting him behind bars. At the top of his hit list is former colleague and fellow marksman Hartman (Jen), who Lincoln believes withheld key evidence at his trial that could have led to his acquittal. Lincoln’s plan involves setting up the largest heist the city has ever known, hoping that this will draw his prey to him.

Meanwhile, a hot-headed rookie, Oj (Chen), has joined Hartman’s team and quickly begins to exhibit the same level of shooting skills that made Lincoln such a legend on the force.