10 April 2014 - Filipino Independent Film Director Adolfo Alix, Jr., was among  ten (10) panelists composed of directors, writers and producers of  film production companies from China, Korea, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States during the Panel Discussion, “The Next Generation Film Industry in Asia:  Challenges and Opportunities” at  the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market  (FILMART) held at the Hong Kong Convention Centre on March 26.

During the discussion, Mr. Alix cited that like most Asian countries, majority of the films coming into the Philippines are big Hollywood productions that take the chunk of the domestic film market.  Independent films that are coming out of the Philippines are limited mostly to international film festivals and some small sales from broadcast.

Comparing the Philippine film industry’s structure as similar to those of Korea and China where most of the local audiences are viewers of  films like romance or even horror films, Mr. Alix pointed out that there are opportunities for the distribution of Asian films in the Philippines where Hollywood productions take up 60 to 70%  of distribution in the  market.

Mr. Alix noted that given the situation where China and other Asian countries are rapidly catching up with  Hollywood in terms of production and box office returns, it is important for Asian filmmakers to focus on  co-productions in the region to be able to exchange and market the Asian content as the world looks to Asia where China is a big market.  He also said that if China pushes to do co-productions with smaller countries as the   Philippines or Thailand, filmmakers will be able to       showcase other parts of Asia and not only China.

He emphasized that Asian filmmakers should create universal films that cut across cultures but still remain culturally specific to cater to the Asian region.

Mr. Alix began his career in the industry as a script writer for films and television.  His first film, ‘Donsol,’  was a finalist in the 2006 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and was the Philippines’ official submission to the Academy Awards (Oscars) Best Foreign Language Film category.

Mr. Alix is recognized as a promising filmmaker. His films have been screened at various international film festivals in Cannes, Toronto, Rotterdam, Busan and Mar del Plata among others.  In 2010, Mr. Alix was cited by The Hollywood Reporter as “the best and the brightest among their peers” in its “Next Generation Asia,” which featured the top 20 young   entertainment personalities in the   region. END