Premium movie platform, CinemaWorld, enters 2025 with an expanded film slate, a bigger focus on Asian hits and an even stronger commitment to on-ground engagement. At the same time, the original vision, set more than a decade ago to connect the world through film beyond Hollywood’s narrative, stands firm.

CinemaWorld launched in 2012 to bring non-Hollywood hits from around the world to Asian film lovers. Thirteen years on, the premium movie network – available in linear and SVOD formats through more than 90 distribution partners in 22 territories across Asia – has refreshed its curation and expanded engagement efforts. The premium service has also committed to a short films initiative to support Asian filmmakers. 

Moving into 2025, CinemaWorld continues to expand its priorities. The slate is more than 90% first and exclusive to Asia, and the line-up includes more true stories, twisted tales, films that reflect social and cultural issues of today’s world. 

There’s also a high focus on titles, such as Germany’s "Elaha" (2023) and Iran’s "Empty Nets" (2023), that illuminate different cultures. "Elaha" is about young Kurdish-German woman’s struggle with her womanhood, patriarchy and tradition. "Empty Nets" is a heartbreaking Iranian love story that confronts social hierarchy, tradition and corruption.

“We are echoing our audiences’ preferences for conversational and introspective works,” says CinemaWorld’s chief executive Suarina Chua. “Elaha opened up the dialogue about gender expectations and female emancipation experienced in different cultures... Such stories will remain a staple in our curation,” she adds. 

Tentpole titles for 2025 are Finnish box office hit, "Stormskerry Maja" (2024), a breathtaking epic about a young girl’s experience of life and death, love, lust and grief, and Canadian drama "Temporaries" (2023), about a woman who becomes an advocate for migrant workers.

True stories scheduled for the first six months of 2025 are "Ann", a film documenting the last 13 hours before the death of a 15-year-old Irish girl during childbirth in 1984; and "Subuk", the story of a mother’s love for her autistic son that led to changes in the Polish education system. 

Chua says CinemaWorld has evolved from its original focus on festival films and award winners/nominees to a more diverse curation, now including popular genre films such as romance, action, psychological thrillers and horror, to cater to a broader audience of film lovers. 

This shift is reflected in box office hits like Norway’s "Victoria Must Go" (2024), premiering in December 2024 for the festive season; Colombian action-thriller "Timeline' (2023); Germany’s top box office title "Manta Manta Legacy" (2023); and the Polish hit "Hard Luck" (2023). 

CinemaWorld has also adapted to shifting viewer tastes, particularly the rising demand for horror films, over the past two years. “We recognise the growing popularity of horror films and differentiate ourselves within the genre by offering a selection of psychological horrors with unique stories and strong accolades,” Chua says. Titles catering to this expanding audience include "Natatorium", "Hunters On A White Field", and "A House in Jerusalem", with 'Goodnight Mommy' set for release in the first half of 2025.

In 2024, the line-up expanded to support Asia’s rising filmmaking environment. This included the Asian Filmmaker Spotlight, which showcased Asian filmmaking talents from East Asia ("Confetti" and "Intimate Stranger"), South Asia ("Gaadi – Children Of The Sun") and Central Asia ("Paralympian"). Chua says the Spotlight highlighted emblematic stories from across the region, adding diversity to the channel’s film curation.  

"Gaadi – Children of The Sun" by Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage tells the story of Tikiri, an outcast noblewoman in 1814 Kandy, Ceylon, who battles to preserve her identity and dignity; "Confetti" by director Ann Hu, follows a mother who travels with her nine-year-old daughter from a small town in China to New York City, in search for a school for dyslexic children; and "Intimate Stranger" by Mayu Nakamura is a thriller featuring a twisted Oedipal relationship between a grieving mother and a young man who claims to know the whereabouts of her missing son.

In July, August and September 2024, the channel added exclusive interviews with the directors "Intimate Stranger", "Confetti" and "Gaadi – Children of The Sun" to its line up. “We hope to provide more value beyond the viewing experience, to allow audiences a peek into the creative minds behind these Asian stories,” Chua says. 

As part of its expanded entertainment landscape, CinemaWorld is also committed to boosting film community engagement. This involves partnerships with film events around Asia, including the Jakarta Film Week in September 2024, the Mystery Film Screening in Singapore in April 2024, and a special screening in Taiwan in September 2024.

Asian tentpoles for the first half of 2025 are Japan’s "All The Songs We Never Sang", a coming of age story about a rebellious Tokyo teenager who arrives on a small island to meet her aunt and learn the art of pearl diving (but secretly to find a treasure she was told about as a child); and cross-cultural romcom, "Tokyo Fiancée" (2014), about a young Japanophile Belgian woman in Tokyo in a whirlwind romance with a Francophile Japanese student.  

Besides providing more value to the viewer experience on its main channel, CinemaWorld’s venture into the Asian Short Film space through its brand extension, CinemaSHORT has been eventful. In 2022, the CinemaWorld Film Fund was established in collaboration with regional film schools to support young, budding filmmaking talents. 

“CinemaSHORT is committed to promoting diverse storytelling, and fostering emerging talent from underrepresented communities. Our goals are to help budding filmmakers gain exposure...and to monetise their shorts,” Chua says. The shorts are showcased on CinemaWorld’s linear channel as a lead into the Sunday premieres and are presented at regional events. 

“For all its evolution in the past 13 years,” Chua adds, “CinemaWorld’s original vision holds firm—to connect the world through films.”

Brought to you by CinemaWorld

▶ Published in ContentAsia December 2024 Magazine