Two Philippine projects have been selected for the 23rd Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF23), one of Asia’s leading industry events set to take place from March 17 to 19 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The work-in-progress project Moonglow and the in-development project The Circumciser are among those chosen for HAF23, which runs alongside the 29th Hong Kong FILMART. The forum serves as a networking platform for filmmakers, financiers, and industry professionals across Asia and beyond.
Moonglow, directed and produced by Isabel Sandoval, is set in Manila in 1979 and follows a disillusioned police aide who steals from a corrupt police chief, setting off a chain of events involving a former lover and a political chase.
Sandoval, a Hollywood-based Philippine-born filmmaker, is known for her work on Lingua Franca (2019) and the TV series Under the Banner of Heaven (2022) and The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022). The project is co-produced by Alemberg Ang, whose past works include Plan 75 (2022) and Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (2024)
The Circumciser, directed by Jun Robles Lana, is set in the 1920s and follows a teenage boy torn between his aspirations and family tradition. Lana, an acclaimed director, has previously won Best Director at the Tallinn International Film Festival for Kalel, 15 and has directed Bwakaw (2012) and Die Beautiful (2016).
Producers Perci Intalan and Ferdy Lapuz bring extensive experience, with Lapuz having produced films that have competed at major international festivals.
HAF’s work-in-progress initiative supports projects in later production stages seeking post-production funds and distribution opportunities, while its in-development initiative aids projects in early development. Directors and producers of the selected projects will have opportunities to connect with industry stakeholders through private meetings and presentations.
HAF is a key part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s expanded Industry Project Market, providing a platform for Asian filmmakers to secure funding and global partnerships.