The 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival () took place from 10 April to 21 April 2025. Louis Koo was selected as the Filmmaker in Focus for this edition and masterclasses led by Albert Serra, Juho Kuosmanen, and Leos Carax were featured.
The festival opened with the Japanese crime film The Brightest Sun by Tetsuya Nakashima and the Malaysian-Hong Kong drama Pavane for an Infant by Chong Keat Aun, and closed with the Norwegian drama Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud. This year, 195 films from 69 countries were screened, including six world premieres, two international premieres, and fifty-two Asian premieres. Angela Yuen was chosen as the new ambassador of the HKIFF starting this edition, succeeding Karena Lam.
Background The theme of the 49th Hong Kong International Film Festival is "Dialogue - Conversation of Film". The festival's poster, designed by local company Trilingua Design, features sound tracks as the background, accompanied by classic quotes from international films. Angela Yuen was named the new ambassador of the Hong Kong International Film Festival in late January 2025 starting from this edition, succeeding Karena Lam. Louis Koo was announced as the Filmmaker in Focus for the festival on 7 February 2025. Albert Lee, the executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, explained that Koo, who served as the HKIFF ambassador for five years starting in 2014, was chosen for both his acting career and filmmaking efforts through his production companies, which embody the essence of Hong Kong cinema to both the industry and the public. A commemorative book on Koo was published in collaboration with Moleskine.
Catalan filmmaker Albert Serra and Finnish filmmaker Juho Kuosmanen were announced as features in the Masterclass section later that month, with both presenting at the festival in person and marks Kuosmanen's first visit to Hong Kong. French filmmaker Leos Carax and Japanese actress Sakura Ando were also announced as features in the Masterclass and Focus section respectively in March. A full lineup was announced on 17 March 2025. Other notable guests at the festival included Chinese filmmakers Wang Bing, Vivian Qu, Japanese filmmaker Shinobu Yaguchi, and Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng.
The film festival opened on 10 April 2024 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with the Japanese crime film The Brightest Sun by Tetsuya Nakashima and Malaysian-Hong Kong drama Pavane for an Infant by Chong Keat Aun. This edition was held later than usual, as the HKIFF typically starts in March, with Albert Lee cited the postponement of Art Basel Hong Kong, which also uses the Hong Kong Cultural Centre as its main venue, as the reason for the delay. Events took place at various venues, including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong City Hall, M+, and iSQUARE. A total of 195 films from 69 countries were screened, featuring six world premieres, two international premieres, and fifty-two Asian premieres. Ticket prices ranged from HKD$55 to $100. It was part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong, featuring events such as the 18th Asian Film Awards and the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards taking place concurrently.
The multinational historical drama To Kill a Mongolian Horse by Jiang Xiaoxuan won the Firebird Award for the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language), while the Japanese-Taiwanese-American psychological thriller Black Ox by Tsuta Tetsuichiro won the Firebird Award for the Young Cinema Competition (World). The multinational documentary Yalla Parkour by Areeb Zuaiter received the Firebird Award for Documentary Competition, and the Chinese film The Botanist by Jing Yi won the FIPRESCI Prize. The festival closed with the Norwegian drama Dreams (Sex Love) by Dag Johan Haugerud on 21 April.
Jury The jury of the Firebird Awards comprises:
Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language) Huang Ji, Chinese filmmaker Chong Keat Aun, Malaysian filmmaker Geng Jun, Chinese filmmaker
Young Cinema Competition (World) Juho Kuosmanen, Finnish filmmaker Ray Yeung, Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Lam, Hong Kong film critic
Documentary Competition Huang Hsin-yao, Taiwanese documentary filmmaker Otsuka Ryuji, Japanese documentary filmmaker Elena Pollacchi, former curator of the Venice International Film Festival
Program sections Opening and closing films The following films were chosen as the opening and closing features of the film festival, marking the world premiere of The Brighest Sun:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Opening film The Brightest Sun 時には懺悔を Tetsuya Nakashima Japan Pavane for an Infant 搖籃凡世 Chong Keat Aun Malaysia, Hong KongClosing film Dreams (Sex Love) Drømmer Dag Johan Haugerud Norway
Gala Presentation Two Hong Kong films, which had only premiered at Busan International Film Festival and Tokyo International Film Festival in 2024, have been selected for screening in the Gala Presentation section:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Valley of the Shadow of Death 不赦之罪 Jeffrey Lam, Antonio LamHong Kong Montages of a Modern Motherhood 虎毒不 Oliver Chan
Cinephile Paradise The following films have been selected for screening in the Cinephile Paradise section:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) April აპრილი Déa Kulumbegashvili France, Italy, Georgia Bel Ami 漂亮朋友 Geng Jun China The Girl with the Needle Pigen med nålen Magnus von Horn Denmark, Poland, Sweden Girls on Wire 想飞的女孩 Vivian Qu China Kill the Jockey El jockey Luis Ortega Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Denmark, United States Limonov: The Ballad Kirill Serebrennikov Italy, France, Spain Parthenope Paolo Sorrentino Italy, France Queer Luca Guadagnino Italy, United States Stranger Eyes 默視錄 Yeo Siew Hua Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States Teki Cometh 敵 Daihachi Yoshida Japan Vermiglio Maura Delpero Italy, France, Belgium When Fall Is Coming Quand vient l'automne François Ozon France
Firebird Awards Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language) The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese-language) at the Firebird Awards. To Kill a Mongolian Horse emerged as the winner, with Jing Yi awarded Best Director for The Botanist, Wang Ke named Best Actor for his role in All Quiet at Sunrise, while Wu Ke-xi and Xu Haipeng from Blue Sun Palace jointly received Best Actress for their performances.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) All Quiet at Sunrise 世界日出時 Zhu Xin China Blue Sun Palace 藍色太陽宮 Constance Tsang United States The Botanist 植物學家 Jing Yi China Eel 河鰻 Chu Chun-teng Taiwan Green Wave 前程似錦 Xu Lei China My Friend An Delie 我的朋友安德烈 Dong Zijian China To Kill a Mongolian Horse 一匹白馬的熱夢 Jiang Xiaoxuan Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, United States Valley of the Shadow of Death 不赦之罪 Jeffrey Lam, Antonio Lam Hong Kong
Young Cinema Competition (World) The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (World) at the Firebird Awards. Black Ox emerged as the winner, with Ernesto Martínez Bucio receiving Best Director for The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box), while Yunan Georges Khabbaz and Hanna Schygulla were named Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Black Ox 黒之牛 Tsuta Tetsuichiro Japan, Taiwan, United States The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box) El diablo fuma Ernesto Martínez Bucio Mexico Horizon Horizonte César Augusto Acevedo Colombia, France, Luxembourg, Chile Peacock Pfau - Bin ich echt? Bernhard Wenger Austria, Germany Perfumed with Mint Moattar Binanaa Muhammed Hamdy Egypt, France, Tunisia The Things You Kill Alireza Khatami France, Poland, Canada, Turkey Wondrous is the Silence of My Master Otapanje vladara Ivan Salatić Montenegro, Italy, France, Croatia Yunan يونان Ameer Fakher Eldin Germany, Canada, Italy, Palestine
Documentary Competition The following films were selected to compete in the Young Cinema Competition (Documentary) at the Firebird Awards. Yalla Parkour was selected as the winner, while Andres Veiel received the jury prize for his work on Riefenstahl.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) An American Pastoral Une pastorale américaine Auberi Edler France The Guest Gość Zvika Gregory Portnoy, Zuzanna Solakiewicz Poland, Qatar Holding Liat Brandon Kramer United States Paul Denis Côté Canada Riefenstahl Andres Veiel Germany Seeds Brittany Shyne United States Songs of Slow Burning Earth Pisni zemli, shcho povilno horyt Olha Zhurba Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden, France Yalla Parkour Areeb Zuaiter Sweden, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestine
Pan-Chinese Cinema Filmmaker in Focus Louis Koo was announced as the Filmmaker in Focus for the film festival on 7 February 2025, showcasing ten of his previous works.
English title Original title Director(s) Year of release Production countrie(s) The Suspect 極度重犯 Ringo Lam 1998Hong Kong Bullets Over Summer 爆裂刑警 Wilson Yip 1999 Naked Ambition 豪情 Dante Lam 2003 Throw Down 柔道龍虎榜 Johnnie To 2004 Run Papa Run 一個好爸爸 Sylvia Chang 2008 Connected 保持通話 Benny Chan 2008 Accident 意外 Soi Cheang 2009 Drug War 毒戰 Johnnie To 2012 Paradox 殺破狼・貪狼 Wilson Yip 2017 Warriors of Future 明日戰記 Ng Yuen-fai 2022
Masters and Auteurs The Masters The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) By the Stream 수유천 Hong Sang-soo South Korea Hard Truths Mike Leigh United Kingdom, Spain I'm Still Here Ainda Estou Aqui Walter Salles Brazil, France Iron Dzelzs Vitaly Mansky Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic Megalopolis Francis Ford Coppola United States Phantosmia Lav Diaz Philippines Scénarios / Exposé du film annonce Jean-Luc Godard France Separated Errol Morris United States, Mexico Youth (Spring) 青春（春）Wang BingFrance, Luxembourg, Netherlands Youth (Hard Times) 青春（苦） Youth (Homecoming) 青春（歸）
Leos Carax: The Glamour of Decadence The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:
English title Original title Director(s) Year of release Production countrie(s) The Night Is Young Mauvais SangLeos Carax 1986France Les Amants du Pont-Neuf 1991 Annette 2021 France, Germany, Belgium, United States, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland It's Not Me C'est pas moi 2024 France
The Subversive Cinema of Albert Serra The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:
English title Original title Director(s) Year of release Production countrie(s) Honor of the Knights Honor de cavalleriaAlbert Serra 2006Spain Birdsong El cant dels ocells 2008 Story of My Death Història de la meva mort 2013 Spain, France, Romania Liberté 2019Spain, France, Germany, Portugal Pacifiction 2022 Afternoons of Solitude Tardes de soledad 2024 Spain, France, Portugal
The Empathetic Touch of Juho Kuosmanen The following films were selected for screening in the Masterclass section:
English title Original title Director(s) Year of release Production countrie(s) The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki Hymyilevä miesJuho Kuosmanen 2016 Finland Compartment No. 6 Hytti nro 6 2021 Finland, Germany, Estonia, Russia Silent Trilogy Mykkätrilogia 2024 Finland
Les Auteurs The following films have been selected for screening in the Les Auteurs section: