HONG KONG — The trade floor at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has always been a bellwether for the global appetite for Asian stories. However, in 2026, the stakes have evolved from simple “buying and selling” to the construction of multi-platform ecosystems. With the market set to open on March 17, the buzz among top-tier buyers from Netflix, Disney+, and regional giants like Viu is coalescing around a handful of “Alpha IPs”—projects that don’t just promise ratings, but offer a blueprint for the future of the industry.
From AI-native sci-fi to historical epics with simultaneous global day-and-date ambitions, here are the five IPs that are defining the conversation at FILMART 2026.
1. Swords into Plowshares (Huace Group)
The Play: High-Budget Historical Epic
The Hook: Huace Group, a perennial powerhouse, is leveraging this 50-episode historical drama to test the “Simulcast Global” model. Set during the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the series focuses on the peaceful unification under the Song Dynasty.
Why It Matters: This isn’t just another period piece; it’s a massive production featuring over 8,000 custom-designed costumes and a narrative designed for international portability. With Thai broadcaster True Visions already committed to a day-and-date air with China, Swords into Plowshares is the “test case” for whether high-end C-drama can achieve the same global synchronous footprint as K-drama.
2. Unchained (Nikkatsu)
The Play: Gritty Japanese Social Drama / Genre-Bender
The Hook: Directed by the feted Keisuke Yoshida and starring Wataru Ichinose—fresh off his global breakout in the Netflix sumo hit Sanctuary—this title is being introduced to international buyers by Nikkatsu this week.
Why It Matters: Unchained signals a return to the “Hard-Boiled” Japanese aesthetic that originally captured global audiences in the 90s, but with a modern, streaming-literate edge. For buyers looking for the next Shogun-level intensity in a contemporary setting, this project is a primary target.
3. Nine Awaken (《九宵》) (ManyMany Creations)
The Play: AI-Native Sci-Fi / Short-Form IP
The Hook: This is the flagship project of the FILMART AI Hub. A sci-fi short tracing an astronaut’s awakening in a retro-futuristic Hong Kong space station, Nine Awaken is the first high-profile IP to be built from the ground up using a “Neural VFX” hybrid workflow.
Why It Matters: Beyond the narrative, Nine Awaken represents a new class of IP where the technology is the story. ManyMany Creations is using this project to demonstrate to global financiers how AI-driven production can slash budgets by 40% without sacrificing “Hong Kong style” cinematic quality. It is the most watched IP for tech-forward investors.
4. 131 (The Flow of Words / Sasha Chuk)
The Play: GBA “Noir” / Auteur Cinema
The Hook: Fresh from the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), this project reunites director Sasha Chuk and legendary producer Stanley Kwan. Set across the borders of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, it follows two masseuses and a construction worker attempting to “reshape their future.”
Why It Matters: As the Greater Bay Area (GBA) becomes a unified economic zone, 131 is the first prestige IP to treat the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border as a native creative landscape rather than a political boundary. It represents the “GBA Narrative” that the Hong Kong government is aggressively subsidizing.
5. Fate Chooses You (iQIYI)
The Play: High-Fantasy (Xianxia) / Star-Driven IP
The Hook: Directed by Guo Hu and starring Ren Jia Lun (one of the most bankable actors in the Chinese-speaking world), this project is the crown jewel of iQIYI’s 2026 fantasy slate.
Why It Matters: While streaming platforms are diversifying, the “Xianxia” (Immortal Cultivation) genre remains the most consistent revenue driver for Asian platforms in North America and Southeast Asia. Fate Chooses You is the most sophisticated iteration of this genre yet, utilizing the same “Volume” technology (Virtual Production) seen in The Mandalorian.
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