SerpApi.Org
Michelle Zhou's debut feature "Big Little Things" has landed backing from Hong Kong-based Moebius Entertainment, which will handle worldwide sales and festival representation after the Hong Kong-U.S. co-production earned a berth in the Horizons section of the 83rd Venice Film Festival.
The story centers on a woman who moves back to her native Harbin after spending years in the U.S., only to find herself torn between the relationship she has built with her girlfriend and the pull of her family's expectations. Zhou's screenplay weaves together questions of identity, belonging and the compromises required when personal truth collides with inherited obligation.
Before its Venice selection, the film had already picked up the Activator Market Potential Award at the 2025 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion in Taipei, an industry showcase that highlights standout projects from up-and-coming Asian directors.
"‘Big Little Things' represents the arrival of a distinctive new filmmaking voice," said Fred Tsui, founder and CEO of Moebius Entertainment. "Michelle Zhou captures the quiet but profound conflicts that define many lives today – the tension between personal truth and the roles we inherit. Her film is deeply intimate yet universally resonant, and we believe audiences around the world will connect with the heroine's journey."
"Big Little Things" is a Hong Kong-U.S. co-production and will premiere at Venice ahead of further festival stops, with Moebius overseeing both its worldwide sales rights and festival strategy.
Separately, Moebius has picked up worldwide sales rights outside Taiwan for "Happily Ever After," the follow-up feature from Taiwanese director Fiona Roan Feng-i, which is set to bow in the Toronto Film Festival's Special Presentations lineup.
The deal reunites Tsui with Roan and producer Clifford Miu, who worked together on Roan's debut, "American Girl." Tsui was the sales agent behind that film's international run, a deal that included placing it with Netflix for a global streaming release.
"American Girl" bowed at the Tokyo International Film Festival, then traveled the festival circuit to become one of the year's standout Taiwanese titles. The film collected five prizes at the 58th Golden Horse Awards, with Roan winning best new director, Caitlin Fang taking best new performer and Giorgos Valsamis honored for best cinematography, alongside the Fipresci Prize and the Audience Choice Award.
"‘Happily Ever After' confirms Fiona Roan's remarkable talent as a filmmaker with a deeply human voice and an exceptional command of cinematic storytelling," said Tsui. "After our rewarding collaboration on ‘American Girl,' I am delighted to be working again with Fiona and producer Clifford Miu. We believe the film will resonate strongly with audiences around the world, and we're excited to introduce it to international buyers at Toronto."
Sales efforts on "Happily Ever After" begin now, with Moebius expected to firm up additional festival slots and distribution deals in the months leading up to its Toronto premiere.
Tsui founded Moebius Entertainment and has built it quickly into a boutique international sales outfit known for representing high-end Asian and international auteur cinema. Its current roster spans "She Has No Name" (Peter Chan), "Papa" (Philip Yung), "Peg O' My Heart" (Nick Cheung), "My First of May" (Jame Hung), "Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts" (Wang Tong) and "Double Happiness."
Tsui has worked in the industry for more than two decades, moving between roles in acquisitions, festival strategy and international sales along the way. He also works as a film critic, has sat on juries at major festivals, previously served on the boards of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) in the U.S. and Rome's MIA Market, and holds membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
