The Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and Fox International Productions (Greater China) have announced five film projects that will be considered as finalists and compete for the inaugural edition of the HAF/FOX Chinese Film Development Award.

Among those shortlisted are Lawrence AH MON's Close Protection (pictured), ZHU Minjiang's Crazy Mother and Coffee Sweet, from the film-makers behind the award-winning Taiwan short Thief.

The award is open to all Chinese-language film projects. First prize is a cash prize worth HK$100,000 ($12,500) and a development contract with Fox. The other four finalists may be offered a first look agreement.

The finalists will present their work to the final panel of the reading committee during the 10th HAF (19-21 March 2012). The winners will be selected by leading industry figures, including producers Angie CHAI from Taiwan, HUANG Jianxin from the mainland and Manfred WONG from Hong Kong.

Organisers said that they received over 80 applications from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

HAF/FOX CHINESE FILM DEVELOPMENT AWARD FINALISTS

■Close Protection [Hong Kong]

Dir: Lawrence Ah Mon; Script: James Chan, FUKAZAWA Hiroshi

Ghostsoup Land

■Coffee Sweet [China/Taiwan]

Dir/script: WANG Hsi-chieh; prod/script: Jay CHERN.

Blue Light Films

■Crazy Mother [China]

Dir/script: Zhu Minjiang; prod: Wu Xiangwei, Wu Hao.

Beijing Big Fish Media Co Ltd.

■Diaoshuiyan Murder Case [China]

Dir/script: ZHANG Tianhui (張天輝); prod: Zhou Hao.

Ideal Pictures (Beijing) Culture Development Co Ltd

■Two Graves [Hong Kong]

Dir/script/prod: Sammie Lau; prod: Sammi Chan; script: Thomas Lam.

Basix Production Limited