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Hong Kong animations are finally turning heads. Meet the artists behind them
Hong Kong animators making waves at global festivals talk about growing the city’s niche but resilient industry and the challenges they face
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Animated features – particularly blockbusters from the likes of Studio Ghibli and Pixar – have long been popular in Hong Kong. Yet the city is not known for producing works of its own in the genre.
This may change, as a small number of local artists, educators and filmmakers are patiently making waves on the international festival circuit with experimental animations. For example, in 2025, the Hong Kong animated dark fantasy film Another World by Point Five Creations was released to critical acclaim.
“The mainstream industry has this focus on anime and Disney, while the more experimental, niche side [of animation] is often overlooked,” says Sophie Colfer, an English-Japanese filmmaker and writer who was raised in Hong Kong and has worked internationally.
Colfer was brought up in a family that celebrated animation and its structural diversity.
“I grew up with a love for more experimental work,” she says. “Being Japanese meant that the door was open to niche anime series that went beyond hits like Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto.”
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