Official still of ‘Manchester by the Sea’
‘Manchester by the Sea’ Almost Didn’t Make it to China?
Released on August 25 in China under the banner of China’s National Arthouse Film Alliance, ‘Manchester by the Sea‘ has earned 7.4 million yuan after 16 days in release in select theaters, according to data provided by online ticketing website Tao Piao Piao. While the number is not disappointing, the National Arthouse Film Alliance has been receiving criticism for monopolizing the distribution and exhibition of the film. In reaction to such criticism, a staff member of the Alliance argues that the film might have not even made it to China if the Alliance didn’t reach out to the Universal Pictures to express their interest in importing it. Obviously, importing films into China, the big studios would prefer to bring films such as ‘Fast and Furious 8’ and ‘Despicable Me 3’ rather than ‘Manchester by the Sea’. Read more on Entertainment Capital
Backed by Jia Zhangke and Alibaba, ‘One Night on the Wharf’ Enters Busan International Film Festival
Chinese film ‘One Night on the Wharf’ has been selected as one of the four Chinese language films to compete at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)’s “New Currents” section. ‘One Night on the Wharf’ is Chinese writer Han Dong’s directorial debut, and is adapted from Handong’s novel of the same name. The film received support from major incubator projects in China, including Jia Zhangke’s Wings Project, Alibaba’s A Plan, and Shanghai International Film Festival’s SIFF Project. Jia Zhangke is also the Executive Producer of the film. Coincidently, Jia Zhangke’s first feature film ‘The Pickpocket’ won the ‘New Currents’ award at BIFF 19 years ago. Read more on Sina
Spanish Diplomat Asks Chinese Exhibitors to Schedule More Screenings for ‘The Invisible Guest’
Critically acclaimed Spanish suspense film ‘The Invisible Guest’ will open across China on September 15. Recently, a premiere screening of the film took place in China with director Oriol Paulo in attendance. The film successfully amazed audiences at the preview, and also received endorsement from a Spanish diplomat who asked Chinese film exhibitors to schedule mores screenings for this film. Read more on Mtime
Chinese Director Shooting ‘Chinatown Detective 2’ in New York with an American Crew
‘Chinatown Detective 2’, the sequel to the 2015 Chinese comedy mystery film ‘Chinatown Detective’, is currently shooting in New York. The first installment raked in 800 million yuan in 2015, and was nominated for multiple awards at the Golden Horse Film Festival. In addition to using New York City as the backdrop, ‘Chinatown Detective 2’ has a crew consisting of mostly American union workers, which is unprecedented among Chinese productions. “This is the most expensive and challenging film I’ve ever made” says director Chen Sicheng. ‘Chinatown Detective 2’ is scheduled to open across China on February 16, 2018. Read more on yingshidushe
Chinese Ticketing Platform Maoyan Launches Film Industry’s “LinkedIn”
Recently, top Chinese online ticketing platform Maoyan launched a new section on their app called “Ying Shi Ren”, which literally means film and TV professionals. The Chinese film industry has been facing problems, such as lack of talent data, asymmetric information, and trust crisis, and Mao Yan’s “Ying Shi Ren” aims to tackle these problems. Read more on yuledujiaoshou
