Archive for the ‘Asia Industry News’ Category
China film law won’t be ready for March
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News on September 8th, 2010
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i5d86cb3297fb74c58f3e40406fc6f7ac
Compliance with WTO ruling still up in the air
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Although the long-awaited draft of the China Movie Industry Promotion Law and the Dec. 2009 WTO ruling are not formally linked, the draft’s delay in the highest levels of China’s one-party government signals its cabinet’s continued central role in how Chinese and visiting filmmakers are to be allowed to make money in the movie business here. “The film law cannot come as fast as March,” La Peikang, deputy director general of the Film Bureau, said. La, answering questions on Wednesday in a forum about internationalizing La said the State Council, which oversees the State Administration of Radio Film and Television — of which his Film Bureau is a part — is reviewing the draft movie law carefully before handing it down to the NPC. “We will do it as soon as possible in our long process of lawmaking,” said La, a chief author of the draft. If passed, the draft would be the first law governing the film business in China. La said it would address barriers to market entry, industry administration, movie promotion and the protection of the domestic film industry. In the absence of a law, China’s soaring ticket sales, its cinema construction boom, its increasingly lucrative movie imports and its maturing distribution networks are governed by circulars and regulations that exist as guidance from Beijing and fall outside the jurisdiction of the country’s courts. These vaguely-worded documents have long left the power to determine what films get made, where they are shown and by whom firmly in the central government’s hands. In what appeared to some to signal a loosening, SARFT in July published a circular that said provincial level media regulators now can grant permits to filmmakers, La said. Previously, producers had to seek Beijing’s stamp of approval for their film’s content if they hoped to see it screen in China. La said SARFT officials meant the July circular to reduce the time it takes private companies to start filming, speeding the growth of the industry, where ticket sales were already up more than 80% from Jan. to June. As China’s wealth spreads – its economy is now the world’s second largest – 500 films will be made this year, up from 80 or fewer in 2002. While some in the industry have wondered aloud if the July SARFT circular might be a loosening of Beijing’s reins, La told the audience at the annual Beijing Screenings, “Those films of great importance and on important topics will still come to the Film Bureau in Beijing.” SARFT has rebuffed film ratings common in the West and Hong Kong, and its censors routinely offer “feedback” or reject scripts outright on vague grounds that their content bucks Beijing’s notion of a “harmonious society.” “SARFT’s Film Bureau realizes we must make great efforts to fulfill the requirements of the State Council,” La said. “Quality is the greatest concern.” When asked by a Chinese director in the forum audience about a connection between film censorship and the country’s lack of a ratings system, La said: “We do not need a ratings system to solve the sex and violence problem.” La’s questioner, director Feng Ke, is an NYU Film School Graduate whose independently produced debut feature “Letters from Death Row” follows a small-time crook as he records the last wishes of death row inmates. Although it was not shown in China, it was an official selection of the San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2008. Trying to engage La in discussion, Feng was interrupted repeatedly by forum moderator Zhou Tiedong, president of China Film Promotion International, the sales arm of the state-run China Film Group. In front of at least three reporters for overseas media organizations, Zhou invited Feng to contact La privately. Also in attendance was Mike Ellis, the Motion Picture Assn.’s Asia managing director. Hong Kong-based Ellis said the MPA respects each country’s right to regulate its own film industry, but he questioned if censorship in the place of ratings was good for business. “Is that type of control that allows the artistic freedom to reach your audience? That’s a business decision and I’m very encouraged that there are now more Chinese film studios looking at this as a business with risks and returns.” Ellis declined to offer the MPA’s views on China’s progress toward compliance with the WTO ruling, which gives China until March to open its market to overseas greater participation in the distribution of copyrighted filmed entertainment. |
Pusan film festival to offer record number of premieres
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News on September 8th, 2010
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1079645/1/.html
SEOUL - One of Asia’s most prestigious film festivals will feature a record number of world premieres when it gets under way next month for a 15th year, organisers said Tuesday.
The Pusan International Film Festival, to be held in South Korea’s southern city of Busan from October 7-15, will feature 308 movies from 67 countries.
Organisers said 103 films would have their first public screening at the festival, which focuses on discovering new movies and first-time directors from across Asia.
Another 52 films which were only previously screened in their countries of origin would make their international debut in Busan.
“Under the Hawthorn Tree”, a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou, who also directed the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will open the festival.
It will close with “Camellia”, an omnibus film of three separate short pieces about the city of Busan directed by Wisit Sasanatieng of Thailand, Isao Yukisada of Japan and Jang Jun-Hwan of South Korea.
“This year is for discovering new directors who will lead the future of the film industry. This will provide an opportunity for the films to become more contemporary and more revolutionary,” organisers said in a statement.
The Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami will lead an education programme for young aspiring filmmakers from 16 countries. His “Certified Copy” earned its lead actress Juliette Binoche the Best Actress award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Invited guests include French actress Binoche, British actress Jane March, Tang Wei of China, Japanese actress Miyazaki Aoi and directors such as Oliver Stone of the United States, Spain’s Carlos Saura and Ann Hui of Hong Kong.
The festival will also include a forum on the illegal distribution of movies over the Internet, which is severely damaging the industry.
Taiwanese director Tsai Ming Liang has been chosen as Asian Filmmaker of the Year for his work in pioneering unexplored areas that overcome the limitations of the art film industry.
- AFP /ls
Korean Film Festival showcases ‘Hallyuwood’
Posted by: admin in Africa Industry News, Asia Industry News on September 6th, 2010
http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/Film/5613549-147/story.csp
The first ever Korean Film Festival in Nigeria which started in Abuja, as part of the Korean Embassy activities celebrating the 30th anniversary of Korea’s diplomatic relationship with Nigeria, ended on the evening of Friday, August 22 with a screening of the movie, Le Grand Chef (The Grand Chef).
During the week-long festival, no fewer than 2000 Nigerians, members of the diplomatic corps, and friends of Koreans resident in Abuja, were treated to the best of Korean movies, carefully selected by the Korean Cultural Centre for the delight of their guests.
Featured films
The festival, which opened on Monday, August 16, and was attended by an average of two hundred people in a day, featured films like ‘Take Off”, ‘Rough Cut’, ‘Hwang-Jin-Yi’, ‘The King and the Clown’ and Jeon Yoon-Soo’s acclaimed ‘Le Grand Chef’ which most of the audience described as the star film of the festival.
The Grand Chef is a culturally rich movie which tells the story of a special cooking knife. The last Korean Royal Chef of the Chosun Dynasty, in brazen display of his loyalty to his king and patriotism to his country, cut off his right arm to avoid being forced to cook for the Japanese bureaucrat of the time. Years later, deeply moved by the Chef’s conviction, the Japanese decides to return the special knife to Korea, and to whoever who deserves to own it.
To determine the rightful owner of the royal knife, the bureaucrat’s son announces a cooking contest to find the best cook for this knife. Thus, the predestined cooking contests between two grandsons of the two apprentices of the royal chef.
The high point of the movie, which drew applause from the audience, is the manner in which the movie uses food recipes to discuss such national issues as internal democracy, as represented by the recipes the eventual and rightful winner uses to cook the ‘secret king’s soup’ during the final of the cooking contest.
The Korean Wave - Hallyuwood
America has Hollywood, India has Bollywood, and Nigeria has Nollywood. Likewise, Korea has its own ‘Hallyuwood.’ This newly-coined word combines the meanings of the word “han (hal),” for Korea, and “ryu (lyu),” which means ‘wave’. When these two Korean syllables are put together, it gives us a new word meaning “Korean Wave.”
The Korean Wave is a trend of increasing popularity for Korean pop culture, including television dramas, films, and music in Asia and around the world. This phenomenon began in the latter half of 1990s and is still growing and spreading worldwide, including the Middle East and South America.
Some Korean TV dramas have also been introduced to Nigerian audiences. “Jewel in the Palace” aired on AIT; “The Painter of the Wind” is now being shown on the same channel every Sunday morning; while “Winter Sonata” is also being broadcast by the National Television Authority (NTA).
Silent motion pictures were first introduced to Korea in 1903, and the first movie with sound was produced in 1935. During the 1950s, the government made great efforts to promote the film industry and later introduced a screen quota system to ensure that domestically produced films had the opportunity to be shown widely. In the 1960s, Korea witnessed its first golden age of the film industry. After a setback in the 1970s caused by the widespread penetration of television, the film industry rebounded with even greater strength, thanks to increased investment by large companies into film making and distribution in the 1980s. With the emergence of young, talented film directors and the liberalisation of the market, Korean movies began to occupy a major share of the domestic market and Korean film exports started to grow. All these have laid the foundation for the Korean Wave and the subsequent popularity of Korean films all over Asia; and lately Africa and the rest of the world.
In his remarks at the opening of the festival, the Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, Park Young-Kuk said, “Korean films have developed on the strength of incessant creativity, despite challenges from international film markets like Hollywood. I hope you will be able to see and appreciate the different styles and merits of Korean films, and enjoy what they have to offer.”
A reward for friendship
As a means of engaging the interest of festival goers, 20 Nigerians received various prizes, ranging from Satellite TV decoders, wristwatches, footballs, phones and other valuables as a reward for their friendship with the Korean Embassy in Nigeria. One recipient, 28-year-old Amarachi Amunabu, commended the Korean Cultural Centre for present and also commented on the featured movies. “I have watched all of the five movies featured and I must say that I am impressed at the quality of creativity and positive projection of the ways of life of the Koreans. The quality also is superb and commendable. I have always thought Asian movies are all about kung fu. This is the first time I am watching a subject-based Asian movie and I am very happy to have had the opportunity.”
In his speech, Suh Jeong Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre in Abuja, indicated that the festival is to become a yearly event. “The Korean Film Festival in Nigeria will hold every year. The 2011 edition will take place in Lagos and Sierra Leone while the 2012 edition will return to Abuja,” he said For Abuja residents whose interest may have been sparked by the festival, Mr Sun had this announcement: “If you love Korean movies, you can visit the Korean Cultural Centre’ studio every first and last Fridays of the month for a free show of Korean movies.”
Chinese firms look to team up with Hollywood
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News, Studio/Network News, United States Industry News on September 6th, 2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090302853.html
Washington Post Staff Writer
BEIJING - When Scarlett Johansson strode across the screen in “Iron Man 2,” she was wearing a form-fitting outfit made by Semir, a Chinese brand and an official sponsor of the blockbuster movie this spring.
That wasn’t the first example of Chinese firms getting in on the Hollywood product placement game. In last year’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” a highway billboard featured another Chinese sportswear company, Metersbonwe.
“More and more Chinese brands would like to get their products placed” in Hollywood films, said Ben Ji, head of Angel Wings Entertainment and the man behind getting Semir clothes into “Iron Man 2.” His goal: to get a Chinese car in a James Bond film.
Product placement is just one example of China’s new love affair with Hollywood. Chinese production companies are looking to partner with Hollywood firms to make films and manage China’s growing number of theaters. Rumors persist that a Chinese company - spurred by the government, which wants to extend the country’s “soft power” into the cultural sphere - is on the prowl to buy a U.S. film studio.
The affection is not unrequited. Hollywood producers and directors are flocking to China, looking for scripts, locales and potential investors for the growing number of Chinese and Hollywood “co-productions.”
“I run into Hollywood executives here every week,” said Jonathan Landreth, the Beijing-based correspondent for the Hollywood Reporter.
After recent co-productions such as “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” China and Hollywood collaborated this year on the hugely successful “The Karate Kid,” starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, and “Shanghai,” with John Cusack, Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat (which premiered in Beijing in June to lackluster reviews).
In what would be the biggest - meaning costliest - co-produced movie, the U.S. company Hollywood MovieWorks has teamed with Beijing entrepreneur Sheng Boyu, 30, to make “Double Lives,” a film about a modern-day treasure hunt for two ancient Chinese swords. The film will star Pierce Brosnan and will be directed by Rob Cohen of “The Mummy,” who first became enamored with China when he directed “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.”
“Double Lives” has a $100 million budget, and Sheng said the Chinese side and Hollywood will approach it as equals.
“Our ratio is 50-50,” said Sheng, looking the part of a Hollywood producer in black suit, open-neck black shirt and black Gucci loafers. “My cooperation with Hollywood is an equal cooperation. I think it’s a trend that future filmmakers will cooperate and make more co-produced films, and Chinese audiences will enjoy the best of both Chinese and American filmmaking.”
For Chinese filmmakers, Hollywood offers the chance to produce on a wider stage for international audiences and break out of the familiar niche of martial arts films.
For Hollywood, the reason for the sudden interest in China might be described as more mercenary. Hollywood traditionally runs on other people’s money - and China has a lot of cash to spread around these days.
“Hollywood would figure out how to shoot in Greenland if they offered the right financial incentive,” said Larry Gerbrandt, principal of Media Valuation Partners, a Los Angeles firm that studies the economics of the entertainment industry. “Between the collapse of hedge fund financing and the grinding U.S. recession, coupled with the capital crunch, it has been extremely difficult to fund new productions. To the extent that China offers lower production costs and experienced local talent, that helps.”
Monica Chuo, a Los Angeles-based producer and former executive with Paramount, called China “a potential gold mine for all industry sectors, including film. We’ve all taken a hit, and those intending to survive will have to maneuver and think outside the box.”
There are lures besides the investment cash, not least of which is the explosive growth of box office receipts in China, the fastest-growing film market in the world. According to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China’s box office receipts totaled $780 million in the first half of this year - an 80 percent increase over those from the first half of 2009, with much of that attributed to the colossal success of “Avatar” here. The 2009 box office receipts were up more than 40 percent over 2008’s.
Ji said that as more newly affluent Chinese go to movies - instead of watching DVDs at home - the number of movie houses being built is soaring. “Two new screens per day - that’s crazy!” he said. Foreign companies are allowed to build cinemas in China but not manage them directly, Ji said, adding that he is confident the rule will be relaxed next year.
Ji predicted that China might also relax rules that allow just 20 foreign films a year. An increase in the quota could give further incentive for Hollywood producers to make films that appeal to Chinese audiences.
Co-produced movies do not count as “foreign” films under the quota. Filming and hiring local workers is much cheaper in China than in many other countries.
Gerbrandt said that U.S. box office admissions have been stagnant in recent years but that increased ticket prices have helped the industry grow. “Hollywood must open new markets to keep growing, and China and India are obviously the largest,” he wrote in an e-mail.
But the governments of both countries object to the content and morals of some Western movies, he said.
Ji has had problems with censorship as Angel Wings has prepared to release its first film this fall, the romantic comedy “Color Me Love.” The censors thought one kissing scene was too long and ordered it shortened. “We are very good at self-censorship - very good,” said Ji, 43, a veteran of Walt Disney Corp. “The moral thing - that’s kind of tricky to figure out.”
Many in the industry, and industry watchers, are skeptical that a Chinese company will purchase a Hollywood studio soon. Some point to the Japanese giant Sony’s $3.4 billion acquisition of Columbia Pictures in 1989, which led to massive losses and a series of big-budget flops in the 1990s.
“China will find Hollywood extremely open to deals, partnerships and investments from Chinese players,” Gerbrandt said. “Where it gets much more difficult is for a Chinese company to wind up with an ownership control position in a Hollywood studio.”
“The Hollywood infrastructure is very open to other people’s money,” he added, “but they really only want to do creative deals within the community and to hire from within.”
Taipei, Paris share energy through film-making
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, Europe Industry News on September 1st, 2010
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201009010025
The film industry authorities of Taipei and Paris signed an agreement in Taipei Wednesday to highlight the energy of both cities through film-making.
During the signing ceremony, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin said the cooperation between the Taipei Film Commission and the Ile de France Film Commission (IDF) aims to highlight the distinguishing images of each city, going beyond just Taipei 101 and the Eiffel Tower, and to introduce the creativity of artists without borders.
Hau said that Paris accounts for 90 percent of the French film industry’s resources and he added his hope that “by working and learning from Paris, Taipei will become a cultural hub among China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.”
Taipei is the first non-European collaborator with the IDF, which has also established a partnership with Berlin-Brandenberg, Madrid and Rome.
“We have long admired the creativity of Taiwanese film-makers, ” said IDF Director Olivier-Rene Veillon at the signing ceremony.
Referring to the Louvre museum-commissioned “Face” from Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “Flight of the Red Balloon,” which capture the ambiance of living in Paris, Veillon said the beauty of art films is embraced by both French and Taiwanese people.
“Although there is a superpower in the film industry across the Atlantic Ocean called Hollywood, ” said Veillon, “we recognize there are brilliant ideas from other continents that are worth cherishing, which is why we look forward to working with Taipei.”
Besides cultural exchanges, the two commissions will also share their know how in state-of-the-art 3D technology and promote “green shooting” in an effort to increase environmental awareness in the industry. (By Hsin-Yin Lee)
Local film industry cites need for Hollywood money
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News on August 23rd, 2010
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20100823-233446.html
To resuscitate the ailing local film industry, it must get into bed with Hollywood to co-finance and co-produce films, industry insiders said in a forum Friday.
From its struggles with online piracy, sharp contraction in overseas distribution and sales, and “a failure to get on board the emerging trend of multimedia convergence,” doom and gloom were the words to describe the future of the local film industry during the “Korean Films Going Global” forum at the Korea Chamber of Commerce in Seoul, Friday.
“Unless the Korean film industry begins globalizing through co-financing, co-production, and content sharing with Hollywood, it will continue its course of decline,” said Seo Hyeon-dong, team leader of CJ Entertainment’s overseas investment and production division.
CJ is the current market leader among all major film studios having captured 27.3 percent of the market share this year from its closest rivals Showbox, Mediaplex, and Lotte Entertainment.
Of the industry’s dire situation, Seo added that in order for the local film industry to bounce back “we must come up with content that is accessible to the world - not just among Koreans.”
“With the global film industry going digital, restrictions have been brought down and boundaries broken, and the industry has become one market.”
Social networking and online content sharing sites such as Facebook and YouTube were mentioned during the conference as important factors in film marketing and promotion in addition to content development.
Seo added, “with the likes of YouTube, Facebook, and the iPhone - where people all over can receive and share content - the ability to seize the opportunity that such outlets can provide has become crucial in the development of ideas as well as for the industry’s survival.”
On the continuing spread of online piracy, illegal distribution, and a reduction in overseas sales of Korean films this year, Seo said “Adding to the industry’s current crisis are paralyzing factors such as online piracy, illegal content distribution, and a contraction in overseas sales of our films.”
According to latest industry reports, there’s been a two-fold increase in illegal film distribution since 2006 when there were an estimated 36,000 piracy cases reported.
In 2008 alone, the cost of damage from over 67,000 cases was estimated at 710 billion won (S$781 million).
More alarming has been the sharp decline in export sales of local films as foreign distributors have been giving Korean films the cold shoulder.
Compared to the US$76 million (S$102,980,000) worth of film distribution rights sold to overseas markets in 2005, only a fraction of that amount was seen in 2008 with just over $20 million.
This year, it hasn’t gotten any better.
Based on reports from the Cannes International Film Festival earlier in May, only a handful of Korean films were sold to overseas distributors at the film market during the event.
Of them, Kim Ji-woon’s western, “The Good, The Bad, the Weird,” was sold to distributors in France and the U.K., while Kim Ki-duk’s “Breath” was sold to the U.S. and the U.K.
They were the only two films foreign distributors purchased.
Adding to the industry’s concerns have been recent reports that annual theater attendance from movie-goers have been down since the previous year despite revenues reaching a record high on the back of the success of 3-D fare like “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
Local cinemas saw a 14.6 percent spike in their total box office take over the same period last year while the number of admissions at multiplexes was down 3.9 percent, according to a recent report by the Korean Film Council.
Seo went on to declare that China’s film industry - a country whose industry remains outside of the top 15 countries - would overtake Korea by 2020.
Korea is ranked by market analysts within CJ Entertainment at 11th in the world, behind U.S. at first, Japan at second and the U.K. at third.
“The Chinese film industry is benefiting from a synergy effect due largely to the mass exodus of the Hong Kong film industry’s talent pool to mainland China,” Seo said.
“As it looks now, the Chinese film industry will crack the top 10 before Korea does, by the year 2020.”
To prevent the continuing decline of the Korean film industry Seo added, “our industry must come up with ‘global films’ - films that can be applicable to a world audience. In order for this to be possible, we must link up with Hollywood studios to co-produce and co-finance films.”
Roy Lee, co-founder and producer at Vertigo Entertainment said during his keynote address that the feeling is mutual for Hollywood film studios as they too are seeking co-financing opportunities.
He said major studios in Hollywood are also keen on the prospects of co-financing with studios from other countries to lessen their financial burden.
Lee added that this decision to reduce output has seen a steep contraction in film productions by American studios because of the dramatic increase in marketing costs and “the collapse of the DVD market.”
“In the past, the studios financed their films with the belief that they could count on a certain amount of revenue generated by the DVD release,” Lee said.
“At one point, the revenues generated by a film on DVD would match or even exceed the amount of revenue generated by the theatrical release. Now that the studios cannot rely on the revenue stream of the DVD release, it has caused the studios to reduce the amount of money they would typically use to fund the film production.”
Lee is credited for ushering in the Asian remake boom that started with the American version of the Japanese horror film, “The Ring” in 2002.
Lee Joo-ick, CEO of Boram Entertainment also spoke of the non-existent home entertainment market in Korea contributing to the decline of the film industry.
He stated Korea had a “less than spectacular DVD and home entertainment market to begin with,” and added “in Japan, DVD sales have not dwindled as there is strong demand in content for the home entertainment industry. Japanese investors can recoup costs through ancillary revenue generated by DVD sales.”
“This is in contrast to the Korean film industry where its studios have to rely on revenue made solely from its theatrical run and this in turn causes studios to be cautious of taking risks with new and innovative content.”
China plans to make more films, build theaters
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News on August 19th, 2010
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_BhCHIfxH0iaCzFU29X74a21_mQD9HMGBL00
BEIJING — China said it will expand its movie industry by making more films and building more theaters to meet growing demand.
“So far this year, we have already matched the number of total theaters built last year, but we still have yet to meet the increasing demand,” Zhao Shi, deputy director of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said at a news conference Thursday.
The disaster drama “Aftershock” set the all-time box office record for a Chinese film with $79 million in ticket sales earlier this month. “Aftershock” overtook the “The Founding of a Republic,” which earned $62 million.
China remains highly protective of its film industry and limits the country to 20 imports each year. James Cameron’s 3-D sci-fi epic, “Avatar,” raked in $204 million this year.
Zhao said there are no plans to implement a ratings system for movies in China, since research has shown it has not been an effective method of preventing young people from watching certain movies.
China, Singapore sign film co-production agreement
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News on July 28th, 2010
http://www.indiantelevision.com/aac/y2k10/aac449.php
MUMBAI: China and Singapore have signed a film co-production agreement on the sidelines of the 7th China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Co-operation (CSJCBC) in Beijing, China.
The agreement was signed by Singapore’s Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and Industry and Information, Communications and the Arts, Sam Tan, and Vice Minister Zhang Pimin, from China’s State Administration ofRadio, Film and Television (Sarft).
The co-chairs of CSJCBC, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng and China’s Vice Premier Wang Qishan, witnessed the signing.
The China-Singapore Film Co-production Agreement covers theatrical feature films and telemovies, across live-action, animation and documentaries. It is expected to pave the way for more film tie-ups between the two countries as co-productions will enjoy the same access to government funding and incentives as do national productions in each country.
Official co-productions are also treated as national productions in each country for the purposes of content regulation.
Sarft Vice Minister of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television Zhang Pimin says, “In recent years, both countries have embarked on film-related exchanges such as importing each other’s films and co-organising film festivals, which set the foundation for closer collaboration in the future. The signing of the China-Singapore Film Co-production Agreement provides direction and guidance for filmmakers from both countries to pursue co-productions, and creates favourable conditions for partnerships in content and technology development.”
Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts Sam Tan says, “With a rising global interest in Asian media content, this Film Co-Production Agreement presents immense opportunities for filmmakers in China and Singapore to collaborate, as well as share experiences and resources to showcase the rich heritage and culture in our two countries internationally through films. There is also potential for filmmakers from both countries to collaborate in new growth areas, such as stereoscopic 3D productions”.
The negotiations for the Agreement started in late 2008 and took about one-and-a-half years to conclude, a relatively short time for such agreements, and a testament of the longstanding and special relations between Singapore and China.
The Film Co-production Agreement will be administered by Sarft Film Bureau and Media Development Authority (MDA), on behalf of China and Singapore, respectively.
To facilitate greater exchanges between filmmakers from both countries, the Sarft Film Bureau and MDA plan to embark on a regular China-SingaporeFilm Festival Exchange. This follows a successful pilot that saw the inaugural Singapore Film Festival in Beijing and Shanghai in 2007, and the first China Film Festival in Singapore in 2008. In addition to reaching out to the movie-going public, these film festivals will serve as platforms for filmmakers from both sides to meet and exchange ideas.
Sarft Film Bureau deputy DG La Peikang says, “In line with our common goal of promoting cultures and mutual development, Sarft and MDA co-hosted film festivals in 2007 and 2008. The first Singapore Film Festival held at Beijing and Shanghai in 2007 was well-received by Chinese audiences; similarly, the China Film Festival in Singapore in 2008 was equally a success. We hope the China-Singapore Film Festival Exchange would promote the development of the two countries’ film industries, and contribute toward enhancing the friendship between the peoples of the two nations”.
MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, “The China-Singapore Film Co-production Agreement is a landmark agreement that will spur greater industry collaborations between the two countries. It facilitates filmmakers from China and Singapore to pool resources and create a larger distribution network for the international market. China and Singapore share deep historical and cultural connections. This affinity in language and culture, warmed by many decades of friendly collaboration, will allow filmmakers from both countries to pursue common themes and unearth uniquely Asian storylines that can resonate with global audiences”.
MPAA President Emphasizes Need For Open Market In China
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News, Studio/Network News, United States Industry News on June 21st, 2010
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=131271
Hollywood and China’s entertainment industry must work together to address a number of challenges before the film market there can reach its full potential. This was the message delivered to almost 500 Chinese government officials and key film industry executives today by Bob Pisano, President and Interim CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.
During his keynote speech at a forum of the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival, Pisano highlighted the economic importance of the motion picture industry. “The worldwide entertainment industry is one of the leading sources of new venture creation, employing hundreds of thousands of individuals with skills ranging from acting to carpentry. It contributes billions of dollars to the world economy annually and has demonstrated the capacity for near-exponential growth,” said Pisano.
Pisano touched on how free access for films is the way for local film industries to expand their capabilities through increased investment and collaborations. “An open international market can produce benefits for all concerned�studios, industry employees, consumers and governments alike” said Pisano.
Stressing the need to further liberalize the country’s film market and better fight piracy as necessary to the creative industry’s continued prosperity, Pisano reiterated the commitment of MPAA and its members companies to help “�nations to create strong and sustainable business models that enable them to produce more films, to increasingly use more local talent, to win international recognition for their products, to compete on equal footing with films produced by other nations and to profit from our communal endeavors”. China is now is one of the biggest movie markets globally. While the rest of the world is still recovering from the worst economic recession in several decades, the market in China has demonstrated exceptional resilience. This year’s box office got off to a record-breaking start with Hollywood’s 3D blockbuster “Avatar,” which grossed close to US$200 million dollars in China. Box office revenue has grown from US$120 million in 2003 to US$909 million in 2009. The number of movie screens from 2003 to 2009 quintupled to more than 5,000 - with an average of close to two movie screens being added to the market each day.
Originated in 1993, SIFF is China’s premiere and the only A-category film festival accredited by FIAPF. Organized by the Shanghai Media and Entertainment Group, the 13th SIFF runs from June 12 to 20 during the World Expo in Shanghai.
Money matters
Posted by: admin in Asia Industry News, China Industry News on June 21st, 2010
http://life.globaltimes.cn/art/2010-06/543475.html
By Mao Renjie in Shanghai
As the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) drew to a close Sunday, the topic on many attending filmmakers lips was “investment,” this year’s President Lecture veering off-topic Thursday to highlight the importance of the urgent need for the smooth and healthy development of China’s film industry.
Originally billed as a discussion on “What other films do we need?” Jury President John Woo instead used the occasion to express his concerns on what is keeping China’s film industry from developing. Lecture participants including Chinese mainland director Wang Xiaoshuai, Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung and Taiwanese director Doze Niu, pointed out that the low level of local film investors is a key adverse factor in the local industry.
“An experienced and far-sighted film investor is always the backbone of a film’s success,” commented Woo. He pointed out that there are too few investors on the mainland meeting this requirement and many simply seek quick money from a rapidly growing local film market, with filmmakers moving away from their own styles as a result.
“Investors should respect directors and their distinctive styles,” Woo said, while criticizing the mainland film industry for lacking diversity and originality. “Though generally the industry is on the rise, with more films produced each year, there are few outstanding films with their own characteristics, many are merely copies of the successful mode of previous blockbusters.” He also said that there should be more productions that tell really good stories about present day life in modern China.
Woo warned that a sharp decline like the one that hit Hong Kong’s film industry in the late 1990s could also occur on the mainland, pointing out similarities in investors only focusing on popular themes and methods, instead of encouraging young directors and originality.
“The Hong Kong film industry was like real estate then, filmmakers only shot what was popular and had potential to sell, with investors only eying the present instead of long-term development,” Woo said. He added that audiences quickly became fed up with such “fast” films and the market crashed.
“A film market without originality and individuality is unlikely to survive and prosper,” he said.
Wang Xiaoshuai also emphasized the importance of filmmakers’ individuality. He pointed out that the current situation is related to society as a whole, which in his opinion, neglects individuality.
“It’s a crucial time for the Chinese film industry to have something of their own,” Wang said, adding that film investors should reserve a part of the market for films besides blockbusters to enrich audiences’ choice and taste.
Doze Niu, Taiwanese director whose Monga beat James Cameron’s Avatar at the box office in Taiwan, said that speaking from experience, it is impossible and unpractical for a film industry to only rely on a few mega-productions. Artistic films can also be made with a commercial approach, he said.
“Investors should focus more on ‘middle powers’ that can promote the diversity of Chinese cinema with moderate-budget films.”
Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung, known for his alternative film works, said that many local investors lack filmmaking knowledge and underestimate the complexity of the industry.
He said that he was once approached by a local mine owner wanting to invest in his artistic project, with the only requirement being to cast the owner’s girlfriend. “He knew nothing about film and the industry,” Pang recalled. “He said he did not care what film I was going to shoot, as long as his girlfriend would be walking the red carpet of international film festivals.”
Woo also admitted encountering similar situations during his career.
Pang said that the profit-driven film market has cost investors’ faith in making money with a good-quality film so they try to make money while shooting, via product placement.
“Product placement in many local commercial films has reached a level of being outrageous and shameless,” Pang snapped. He said that product placement could exist, but should not influence its plot and quality. “Filmmakers should respect and have a conscience for audiences who pay to watch their films by telling good stories, instead of making a 90-minute-long advertisement.”
Director He Ping, who presided over the lecture, concluded that investors should consider how unhappy product placement can make directors by influencing their works’ quality. He revealed that successful commercial director Feng Xiaogang, known for mass product placement in his films, was so unsatisfied with himself and the product-placement scene investors added in the film that after finishing shooting, he smashed all of the props on site. “Filmmaking is not a gamble,” He said, “we should have professional investors who really love the industry.”