Epicmedia, Volos and Huang Junxiang reunite for two genre films

Bradley Liew of Epicmedia Productions (Philippines), Stefano Centini of Volos Films (Taiwan/Italy) and Huang Junxiang of Singapore reunite to launch two genre projects at the Asian Content & Film Market at the Busan International Film Festival .

The trio previously collaborated on the Sundance Midnight hit, Kenneth Dagatan’s “In My Mother’s Skin,” which recently ranked #6 on the Sundance Midnight show. varietyBest Horror Movies of 2023. The film was acquired by Amazon Studios and will be available to stream on Prime Video starting October 12th.

Producers support D’Agatan’s “Mulder.” The film is a body-horror paranormal thriller set in a sleepy Italian town, in which an elderly Filipino immigrant suffering from signs of early-onset dementia deals with the sudden disappearance of his wife and a mysterious man who claims This is a story about the struggles of young people. cursed them. The film aims to blend paranormal horror based on Filipino folklore with the experiences of the Filipino diaspora in Italy. The film will feature Filipino and Italian actors and will be filmed in the Philippines and Italy. The film is currently in advanced development and in the early stages of financing. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

“Hold My Gaze,” the fifth feature-length film from “Aria” director Carlo Catu, is a high-tension mystery thriller set in Taiwan. Three souls damaged by lies, deception, and murder try to mend their lives through love for others. But under the ever-present third shadow, no one can hold the gaze of a lover. Katu’s work aims to explore the trauma surrounding Filipino families, the normalization of LGBTQ+-centered narratives, and the balance between artistic and commercially viable works.

The film will be shot primarily in Taiwan, in both Mandarin and Filipino, with Filipino and Taiwanese leads. The project recently won the TAICCA Award at the MIFFEST Project Market in Malaysia and will be announced at the 2023 TCCF (Taiwan Creative Content Fest) Script to Screen Pitching to be held in Taipei this November. In addition to Liew, Centini and Huang, the film will also be produced by Epicmedia’s April Batican (“Mina-Anud”) and Volos’ Chiu Ping-Yu. The film, which is currently in the financing stage, will be pre-sold in Japan under Harakiri Films (directed by Taro Imai) and is expected to be produced in late 2024.

Liew said: “Epicmedia would like to express our absolute joy and excitement to be reunited with both Stefano Centini and Huang Junxiang. Our first collaboration was on the highly successful Sundance hit It was “In My Mother’s Skin” by the author. This was one of the best co-production experiences where each producer (and by extension, the country) brought out the best in the project and elevated the film to international cinema. level. We feel that our shared vision of creating author-driven genre stories from a Southeast Asian perspective is the way forward in creating demand for content from our region to the world. And now we aim to further expand the scope of this story with two Filipino films set overseas, one in Italy and one in Taiwan. ”

Centini added: “We all share a strong determination to create unique stories that transcend borders and continents and transcend genre. Our past success with ‘In My Mother’s Skin’ is proof of that. , is keen to promote this with “Hold My Gaze” in Taiwan and open new possibilities through its new Italian subsidiary, Volos Films Italia. In “Mulder”. With these films, we aim to blend Filipino storytelling with the unique landscapes of Taiwan and Italy, offering new perspectives to audiences around the world and creating a new co-production model for independent films. Masu. ”

Coach Hwang said: “It’s always a pleasure to work with filmmakers who share our commitment to telling great stories. ‘Hold My Gazes’ and ‘Mulder’ have the potential to have a cultural impact across Asia. These are two films that deal with social issues that Asian societies are grappling with, and both are packaged with a strong market perspective. It’s a good excuse to reconnect with trusted friends.”

Lav Diaz’s “Essential Truths of The Lake”, a film produced by Epicmedia, was shown in Locarno and is also shown in Busan.

Volos’ Tomorrow Is a Long Time, directed by Zhou Zhiwei, premiered at the Berlinale, and Felipe Gálvez’s The Settlers premiered at Cannes. Volos Films Italia co-produced “Essential Truths of the Lake.”

Mr. Huang produced the 2018 Berlinale title “Ramen Teh,” the 2020 Busan film “Tiong Bahru Social Club,” and directed the HBO Asia anthology series “Folklore” (2018) and “Foodlore” (2019). ) was also the producer.