HBO Asia has just announced four of its Original productions are debuting globally at international film festivals in Venice, Busan and Tokyo. All four productions – Folklore Season 2, Forbidden, Gensan Punch and On The Job will stream on HBO GO. Two of these productions – Gensan Punch and On The Job are in Competition at some Festivals.
Below are some short details of the four HBO Asia Originals:
Folklore Season 2
Two episodes from the second season of the HBO Asia Original horror anthology series Folklore will have its world premiere at the 34th Tokyo International Film Festival in Japan (October 30 – November 8). The two episodes featured – The Day The Wind Blew and The Excursion, are directed by Japanese pop icon Seiko Matsuda, who makes her directorial debut, and Singaporean film director and Singapore’s 2020 Young Artist Award recipient, Nicole Midori Woodford (For We Are Strangers), respectively.
The new season of Folklore continues to examine the human condition when exposed to supernatural phenomena in a mind-bending race against oneself, each story providing a different take and perspective. Singapore’s award-winning filmmaker Eric Khoo returns as the series’ showrunner. Folklore Season 2 will premiere on HBO GO and HBO later this year.
Forbidden
HBO Asia’s first Thai language original series Forbiddenhas been selected to make its world premiere at the acclaimed 26th Busan International Film Festival in Korea (October 6 – 15). The screening of the series’ first two episodes is part of the first-ever “On Screen” section, which showcases anticipated drama series streamed over online video streaming platforms.
Co-directed by Thai director Anucha Boonyawatana (Malila: The Farewell Flower) and Korean-American director Josh Kim (How To Win At Checkers (Every Time)), Forbidden follows four friends who travel from Bangkok to a remote village in the mountains for the funeral of one of the group’s estranged father. Forbidden will premiere on HBO GO and HBO this year.
GENSAN PUNCH
An HBO Asia Original film inspired by the true story about a Japanese man with a prosthetic leg who goes to the Philippines to train and pursue his dream of becoming a professional boxer, GENSAN PUNCH will have its world premiere in “A Window on Asian Cinema” section (Competition) at the upcoming 26th edition of Busan International Film Festival. The Filipino-Japanese title in English, Japanese and Tagalog, is also one of seven Asian films nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award in Busan. In addition, the film will screen in the “Gala Selection” (non-Competition) at this year’s 34th Tokyo International Film Festival.
Starring Japanese actor Shogen (Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist), GENSAN PUNCH is directed and produced by internationally awarded director and producer from the Philippines, Brillante Ma. Mendoza (Mindanao), whose films have competed and won in the three major international film festivals in Venice, Berlin and Cannes. GENSAN PUNCH will premiere on HBO GO and HBO in the next few months.
On The Job
Select episodes of the HBO Asia Original series On The Job were screened as OnThe Job: The Missing 8 in Competition at this year’s 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1 – 11), making it the only film from Asia out of the 21 international films Venezia 78. John Arcilla won Best Actor at the prestigious event, becoming the first Filipino to win the coveted award.
Besides the 78th Venice Film Festival, On The Job continues to be screened at other international film festivals including:
- 26th Busan International Film Festival in Korea (October 6 – 15) – “A Window on Asian Cinema” section
- 29th edition of Filmfest Hamburg in Germany (September 30 – October 9)
- 27th edition of L’etrange Festival in France (September 9 – 19)
Directed by Eric Matti, the six-part Philippines crime thriller series On The Job is inspired by true events and centres around crime syndicates that temporarily release contracted prison inmates to carry out political assassinations for those in power, except that the crime syndicates are run by politicians. Stream the engrossing six-part hour-long crime thriller series exclusively on HBO GO.
To date, WarnerMedia has produced and aired 30 HBO Asia Original productions with more in the pipeline. Audience can stream a range of Asian Original productions from series to movies and documentaries on HBO GO, including Golden Bell 2021 nominated series Adventure Of The Ring and Workers and Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021 nominees – Dream Raider and Traffickers: Inside The Golden Triangle.