Tokyo: ‘Wushu Orphan’ Strikes First Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

By Patrick Frater

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Newly-launched sales outfit, Autumn Sun Company has closed sales on “Wushu Orphan” ahead of the film’s world premier this week at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It will play in the festival’s Asian Future section.

The film is a high school martial arts drama directed by Huang Huang, and produced by China’s Alibaba Pictures and Dadi Century. It was licensed to MovieCloud for Taiwan and to Viswass films for India.

, which is headed by veteran seller and producer Elliot Tong, also closed a sale on India’s “The Man Who Feels No Pain” to Japan’s Hakuhodo DY Music and Pictures, ahead of the film’s India release. The film was directed by Vasan Bala and recently won the People’s Choice Award at Toronto’s Midnight Madness strand. It was produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s Indian outfit RSVP.

“There is a huge buzz now for Indian films in Asia,” said Tong. “In markets such as Vietnam or Thailand that have not really released any Indian movie in a big way, a movie like this, which is not a typical Bollywood film, but an international movie, is a great entry point.”

Autumn Sun is also handling international rights to animated film “The Legend of Erlang” from Chinese studio Starry Entertainment (“Hello Mr. Billionaire”). The film, which is in production, is based on a Chinese legend and is being directed by VFX veteran Sing-Chong Foo (“Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale”), alongside Jun Cheng and Lingfei Zhang. Other titles on its slate also includes “Kung Fu League,” “Fat Buddies,” “Tofuman,” ‘Toy Guardians” and “Legend of a Rabbit 2.”