Alibaba’s ‘Molly’ Acquired for Malaysia by U.K.-China Film Collab (EXCLUSIVE)

The NGO U.K.-China Film Collab has secured all rights for Alibaba Pictures‘ family drama “Molly” in Malaysia, finalizing the deal with Beijing-based sales agent Hugoeast on the closing day of the Cannes Film Market.

Directed by Golden Horse Award winner Chang Jung-chi and penned by Li Nian-Xiu, the Taiwanese production features production design by Akatsuka Yoshihito, whose credits include “The Flowers of War” and “Kill Bill.”

“Molly” follows the journey of an 11-year-old plant enthusiast who, alongside A-Lu, a robot brought home by her botanist father, embarks on a quest to find her missing parent. The film, which received a theatrical release in China in early 2025, chronicles the young protagonist’s growth through various challenges.

“‘Molly’ stands out for its warm storytelling, strong production quality, and emotional sincerity. We’re delighted to see it finding a new audience in Malaysia, and believe it has strong potential to resonate globally,” said Josie Wu, international sales representative at Hugoeast.

Hiu Man Chan, founder of U.K.-China Film Collab, said: “Although the film did not fulfill its potential in box-office sense in its home country, I believe with its high production value, trending subject matter, award-winning team and the backing by Alibaba Pictures, it deserves to be seen by more audience.”

Chan added, “This is a good opportunity to test the difference in receptions of Chinese-language films between China and the international market. We might be surprised.”

The NGO has previously handled U.K. distribution for titles including China’s Oscar entry “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” and a re-release of Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution.” It also runs the British Council-accredited Odyssey Film Festival, where Ching Keat Aun’s Malaysian film “Snow in Midsummer” won both the best feature and best director categories last year.

In a separate deal at the Cannes Film Market, U.K.-China Film Collab has also acquired Khanjan Kishore Nath’s “Kangbo Aloti” (“The Lost Path”) for the U.K. and China territories, including Hong Kong and Macau SAR.

Presented at the Indian Pavilion during the market, “The Lost Path” is a rare feature film in the Karbi language. The film, supported by the Asia Pacific Script Lab and the WIP Lab at CineV, tells the story of Longsing, a young militant sent to a remote village to recruit members who encounters a schoolteacher with conflicting ideologies.

“It’s really a great moment for us to work with U.K.-China Film Collab to explore the film’s distribution. Collaboration like this can definitely help to bring our regional stories to the global audience,” said director Nath, a national award-winning filmmaker from India.