Moongate Films Launches to Bring East Asian Stories to Global Screens

Pictured: Wang Zhonghao as "Detective 180".

Pictured: Xue Qing as "Mother" and Gu Siyuan as "Son".

Debut feature film Hidden based on the award-winning novel by Chen Xiwo

HONG KONG, August 12, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Moongate Films, a new production company dedicated to bringing East Asian stories to global audiences, has officially launched. Founded by publisher Harvey Thomlinson of Make-Do Studios in partnership with China’s Coastal Star Films, the company will focus on producing and co-financing prestige literary adaptations with international appeal.

Moongate debuts with Hidden, a psychological noir adapted from an award-winning novella by Chen Xiwo. Directed by first-time filmmaker Pamela Pan, the film stars Xue Qing and Gu Siyuan as a devoted mother and her paraplegic son, alongside Wang Zhonghao as Detective 180. Hidden is slated for release in 2026.

Despite being one of the world’s largest film markets, China’s movies rarely cross borders. According to IBIS forecasts, only 3% of the country’s projected $8.4 billion box office revenue in 2026 will come from exports. Moongate Films aims to change that by supporting emerging Chinese filmmakers and connecting their work with audiences worldwide.

“Global audiences are increasingly interested in stories from this region, while visual storytellers are looking for ways to grow their reach,” said Thomlinson. “Drawing on our success in bringing Chinese fiction to international readers, I’m excited to help ensure these stories resonate on the world stage.”

Thomlinson has a track record for identifying compelling Chinese content with cross-cultural appeal. At Make-Do Studios, he discovered and published acclaimed works including Murong Xuecun’s Leave Me Alone, Chengdu, helping launch the author’s international career.

Moongate’s first project, Hidden, is co-produced with Shenzhen-based Coastal Star Films, known for independent Chinese-language titles such as Not Waving But Drowning and Over the Rainbow.

“At Coastal Star Films, we’ve long believed in the power of storytelling rooted in our culture but crafted for the world,” said He Mu, Director of Coastal Star Films. “With Moongate, we see a unique opportunity to elevate Chinese literary cinema globally and nurture a new generation of filmmakers.”

At launch, Moongate Films is developing several features with scripts from Chinese writers, aiming for three to four films in production by the summer of 2026 in multiple languages. The company’s goal is to strengthen co-production partnerships between Chinese and English-speaking markets.

“Moongate Films, named with purpose, embodies an opening between two worlds,” Thomlinson added. “Our mission is to foster cultural exchange and broaden the circle of empathy by working with the region’s greatest writers and creative talents to bring more high-caliber Sinophone cinema to global audiences.”

Harvey Thomlinson
Moongate Films
+852 9799 5397
harvey@moongate.hk
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