Hong Kong: The Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum today announced the winners for the HAF awards, the Technicolor Bangkok awards, the Lacarno Open Doors awards and the Paris Project awards.

The HAF Excellence award this year was presented to Charlie Young, director of Christmas Rose (Hong Kong), for being the first project to successfully achieve full financing at the HAF.

Wanted by Dante Lam and The Murderer by Na Hong-jin were awarded HKD 100,000 (USD13,000 approx) each for projects originating in Hong Kong and outside of Hong Kong respectively.

The Technicolor Bangkok awards of $20,000 (approx. HKD 156,000) each were given to Blood Maple and the Passion of the Kid (Thailand) by Chartchai Ketnust and Veritigo (Vietnam) by Chuyen Bui Thac.

The Locarno Open Doors award – 5,000 Euros (HKD 50,000) - were presented to Help By Li Ying and Winter Vacation by Li Hong-qi. Both the projects are from the Chinese mainland. The projects will be invited to participate at the Locarno International Film Festival’s Open Door’s award section in 2009. Two round trips and hotel accommodations will be provided to each project.

The Paris Project award –Euros 5,000 (HKD 50,000) - was presented to And Protect, Protected by Baomi Kawase (Japan). This includes one round trip and hotel accommodation at the Paris Cinema International Film Festival to participate in the Paris Project 2009.This year’s line-up included film projects from 11 territories.

The HAF is one of the leading hubs of film-financing in Asia. This year it saw a 38 per cent increase in applicants for places in the forum, with guest registrations numbering over 900. This year’s Forum has also organised close to 500 successfully concluded meetings.