Filmart 2025: The Good, The Bad & The Future Of Film Markets

We’re at an interesting inflection point in the global film and TV industries and every successive in-person gathering, including Filmart, which wrapped last week in Hong Kong, just emphasises this even more. We no longer live in a world where Hollywood dominates globally and all other production industries just fill in the gaps around the edges. We live in a world in which a Chinese animated film can gross $2bn, K-drama and Japanese anime are no longer niche and Southeast Asian horror is the latest genre trend.

We do not, however, live in a world where everyone is making heaps of money from the content business. In the post-pandemic era, the gaps between winners and losers are increasing to a worrying extent. Netflix is doing fine, as are Nezha 2 producer Enlight Media, possibly Sony Japan and a handful of Southeast Asian studios. But due to massive media concentration, the number of companies that are disappearing or on the edge of bankruptcy is alarming. I didn’t see many start-ups …