The Entertainment Expo Hong Kong 2026 will take place from 15 March to 19 April, serving as a vital platform connecting innovators and industry leaders across the global film and entertainment industries. This year's Expo spans four major fields - film, television, music and digital entertainment - bringing together eight flagship events that will further strengthen cross-regional exchange in film and entertainment culture. The Expo has invited Leon Lai as Hong Kong Entertainment Ambassador to help promote Hong Kong as a leading hub for film and entertainment in Asia.
Spearheaded by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) with sponsorship from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), the Film Development Fund, and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, this year's Expo features eight major events: the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART); Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF); Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA); Asian Film Awards; Digital Entertainment Summit; EntertainmentPulse; Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF); and the Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music). The Expo's kick-off ceremony will be held on 17 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, marking the 30th edition of FILMART and the 50th edition of HKIFF.
The 30th edition of FILMART, organized by the HKTDC, will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 17 to 20 March, bringing together more than 790 exhibitors from over 30 countries and regions. More than 30 regional pavilions will represent Chinese Mainland and international markets, including mature film markets such as France, Italy, Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and ASEAN members such as Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This diverse participation demonstrates FILMART's role as Asia's leading entertainment content marketplace and a vital catalyst for global cultural exchange and collaboration in the screen industry.
FILMART events will feature comprehensive upgrades this year, including the second edition of Producers Connect, jointly organized by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, CCIDA, the Hong Kong Film Development Council, and HKTDC. In collaboration with 10 international film institutions, the event will gather over 100 global and Hong Kong producers to introduce regional film production and funding initiatives. The AI Hub, organized by the HKTDC and co-organized by the Association of Motion Picture Post Production Professionals, will expand its scale, bringing together leading artificial intelligence and technology companies including Alibaba Cloud, Kling AI, MiniMax, and Vidu, alongside local academic institutions. The newly launched AI Academy, funded by CCIDA and the Film Development Fund, will host over 15 thematic workshops demonstrating how to leverage AI tools to efficiently produce high quality film and animation content.
Entering its 50th edition, HKIFF will take place from 1 to 12 April, adopting the theme "50 and Beyond: Framing the Future" to celebrate both the festival's rich heritage and its commitment to innovation. To commemorate the anniversary, HKIFF has commissioned local illustrator, comic artist, and lyricist Siu Hak to develop the annual thematic design, while actors Angela Yuen and Tony Wu will serve as this year's ambassadors. Acclaimed actress Gingle Wang and Thailand's Metawin Opas-iamkajorn have been appointed Asian Visionary Ambassadors. A special exhibition, "50 and Beyond: The Hong Kong International Film Festival Golden Jubilee Exhibition," will be held at Hong Kong City Hall, while HKIFF will collaborate with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra to present the Asian premiere of "In the Mood for Love in Concert."
The 44th Hong Kong Film Awards will be held on 19 April at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, with Michelle Wai and Edan Lui serving as special guests to announce nominations across 18 award categories. The 19th Asian Film Awards will present three masterclasses, Hong Kong premieres of selected Asian titles, and creator-to-creator "In Conversation" sessions featuring esteemed guests including acclaimed actress Zhang Ziyi, internationally celebrated director Jia Zhangke, and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.
The 15th Digital Entertainment Summit, organized by the HKTDC with co-organization from the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association and MarketingPulse & eTailingPulse, will take place on 19 March as a FILMART flagship event. Under the theme "Animation Without Borders: Creating, Financing and Expanding Animation IP Worldwide," the Summit will feature two panel discussions taking a deep dive into how the animation industry can expand its global footprint through intellectual property innovation, strategic investment, and cross-border collaboration. Featured speakers include Sai Abishek of Warner Bros. Discovery and Aurélien Dirler of France's Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC).
Organized by the HKTDC, EntertainmentPulse will be held concurrently with FILMART, gathering global film and television industry leaders to provide insights into trending topics including artificial intelligence, video streaming, financing and investment, micro-short dramas, co-productions, and animation. For the financing session, experts such as Bennett Pozil of East West Bank, Justin Deimen of Goldfinch International, and Catherine Ying of CMC Pictures and Pearl Studio (China) will analyze banking considerations, private financing strategies, and film project capitalization approaches from multiple perspectives.
The 24th Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum will take place from 17 to 19 March, featuring 42 shortlisted projects from 22 countries and regions, spanning different stages of development. Notably, 13 projects are animation and genre entries, reflecting a rich spectrum of storytelling from family-driven narratives and comedies to thrillers, fantasy, action and science fiction. The 13th Microfilm Production Support Scheme (Music) will hold its Awards Ceremony cum Selected Works Screening on March 20 at Theatre 2, HKCEC, providing HK$130,000 to HK$240,000 in production funding for 31 projects across two tiers while fostering dynamic interplay between music and visual storytelling.
More information about the Expo can be found at https://eexpohk.hktdc.com/en/, while details about FILMART are available at https://hkfilmart.hktdc.com/. The Hong Kong International Film Festival website is http://www.hkiff.org.hk, and information about the Hong Kong Film Awards can be found at https://www.hkfaa.com. The Asian Film Awards details are available at https://www.afa-academy.com/, while the Digital Entertainment Summit information is at https://hkfilmart.hktdc.com/. The Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum details can be found at https://industry.hkiff.org.hk/, and information about the Microfilm Production Support Scheme is available at https://www.hkmfa.hk/microfilm/.
