The Hollywood Reporter Returns to Hong Kong International Film Festival With Spotlight on 3-D Film and the Most Talented Up and Coming

The Hollywood Reporter Returns to Hong Kong International Film Festival With Spotlight on 3-D Film and the Most Talented Up and Coming

THR ANNOUNCES FIRST EVER NEXT GENERATION ASIA

Record-breaking Korean Sensation BoA Tops the List

LOS ANGELES, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hollywood Reporter announced today the first ever Next Generation Asia (Next Gen) event in Hong Kong, honoring the 20 most up-and-coming industry professionals and talent in Asian entertainment age 35 and under.

On March 13th, The Hollywood Reporter's inaugural Next Gen Asia special issue will profile the achievements of these ambitious innovators. The Next Gen Asia inaugural party will take place on March 24th, during the 33rd Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), at the trendy new W Hong Kong in Kowloon.

Over the past 15 years, THR's Next Generation initiative has recognized over 500 individuals in the American entertainment industry, many of whom have gone on to become highly influential in their respective fields -- production, acquisition, representation, programming, finance, music, new media, marketing and talent. Next Gen alumni include such now-familiar names as Andrea Wong, President and CEO of Lifetime; Ben Silverman, Co-Chairman of NBC; and Stacey Snider, CEO and Co-Chairman of DreamWorks.

Selected annually by a committee of The Hollywood Reporter editors and reporters, the Next Generation list is not intended as a power list, but rather as a way to introduce the media and entertainment communities at large to the industry leaders of tomorrow.

"The Asian entertainment industry itself represents the 'next generation' on a global scale. So it is only fitting that THR takes the lead in identifying the rising stars of Asia with Next Gen Asia in Hong Kong," said Eric Mika, Publisher of the Hollywood Reporter and Vice President of the Nielsen Media & Entertainment Group.

Among the 20 professionals being honored on the first Next Gen Asia list is BoA. Already an Asian phenomenon with over 20 million records sold, THR identifies BoA as the next global pop wonder to watch.

Next Gen Asia is held in association with the Hong Kong International Film Festival, a globally recognized destination to discover Asian film and filmmakers. Now in its 33rd year, the Hong Kong International Film Festival attracts over 580,000 attendees, as well as 4,500 media executives who attend its ancillary events -- the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and the Hong Kong Film and Television Market (FilMart).

The Hollywood Reporter has a deepening commitment to the fastest growing media region in the world. With offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, THR provides international leverage for film companies in Asia attending the Hong Kong International Film Festival and FilMart with an array of platforms and opportunities which include:

Market Dailies at FilMart

The Hollywood Reporter is proud to have been selected for the second year by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as the official daily publication for FilMart, its international film market. THR will publish March 23rd through 26th at this growing event that attracts buyers and sellers from the region and across the globe. This year The Hollywood Reporter will introduce a significant digital component to its festival and market dailies.

Panels & Seminars

In collaboration with the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum, Asia's leading film financing platform and the Hong Kong FilMart, The Hollywood Reporter has created two specialized panels with leading industry executives. The first, held on Tuesday, March 24th, will be a branding discussion entitled "Brands or Bust" featuring Norm Marshall, CEO NMA; Mike DaSilva, CEO, MDSA Promotion Marketing/Australia; and Kellie Belle and Emily Wood, Co-Founders of Bellwood Media/London as participants. Topics will include monetization of films via brands, film as a global medium, the connectivity film provides to contemporary culture, and case studies including such brands as BMW, Heineken and Hitachi.

On Wednesday, March 25th, THR will moderate a panel providing valuable insight, guidance and expectations on the future of 3-D, and present THR's own in-depth report on the value of 3-D in the marketplace. Panelists include Michael Ellis, President of MPA, Asia Pacific Region; Don Savant, Managing Director of IMAX, Asia Pacific; Younghoon Lee, CEO of MasterImage Systems; and Bob Vallone, Regional Manager of UA Cinemas.

Asian Film Awards

Now in its third year, the Asian Film Awards, recorded in front of a live audience on March 24th, recognizes filmmakers with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema and will be telecast on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) to 30 million people in more than 30 countries, and on Star World to more than 79 million homes across the world.

About The Hollywood Reporter

Now in its 79th year, The Hollywood Reporter covers the business of global entertainment via a network of media outlets. They include the print daily and weekly editions, the web site, various electronic-media offerings, and high-profile events such as the annual Key Art Awards and Women in Entertainment. In addition to market dailies at the Hong Kong FilMart, The Hollywood Reporter also publishes dailies at the Cannes Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, American Film Market, Pusan Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. The Reporter's team of journalists and news editors numbers more than 60, with representatives in most of the world's major cities. The first Hollywood-based daily trade newspaper covering the entertainment industry, it began publishing September 3, 1930.

The Hollywood Reporter is published by Nielsen Business Media, part of The Nielsen Company, a global information and media company.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter

CONTACT: West Coast, Toni Thompson, +1-310-702-0926,
tonithompsonpr@verizon.net, or East Coast, Caitlin O'Neill, +1-212-981-5275,
Caitlin_O'Neill@dkcnews.com, both of Dan Klores Communications

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Profile: International Entertainment