Emerging Trends of the Chinese Film Market
Emerging trends of the Chinese film market were manifested during The 8th Beijing International Film Festival. Arthouse films in China start attracting a large influx of capital. In addition to the U.S., film co-productions involve more countries like Britain, France, and Russia. Animated movie, due to its ability to cross language barriers, turns out to be the new focus for co-production partners. In addition, the establishment and rapid expansion of the National Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas provides more distribution channels for arthouse films and thus boosts investors’ confidence. In the face of maturing investment opportunities, multiple internet companies are ready to enter the arthouse and indie film market. Various projects concerning film production, marketing, and talents recruitment are currently being carried out by firms like Tencent, Alibaba Pictures, and iQiyi. Chinese internet giants consider that new content of the film will stimulate the development of other IP-related projects. Read more on National Business Daily
Milla Jovovich’s First Chinese Film ‘The Rookies’ Set for December 21 Release
Chinese comedy film The Rookies, which stars Milla Jovovich, Wang Da-lu, and Sandrine Pinna, has scored a December 21 China release, according to a poster of the film released today. Directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Alan Yuan, the film follows Parkour enthusiast Zhao Feng as he accidentally involves in an international criminal case. Director Alan Yuen’s previous projects include Firestorm and Monster Hunt. The Rookies is filmed at multiple locations in China and Budapest. Read more on Mtime
Slow Box Office Before China’s May Day Holiday
China box office shows weak momentum this week. Tuesday (April 24)’s single day box office earnings were lower than 50 million yuan($7.9 million). Hollywood science fiction Rampage made 20.28 million yuan, down 5.5 percent compared to last Tuesday. Cumulatively, the film’s box office has exceeded 700 million yuan ($111 million), making it the third foreign film to join the “700-million club” in China this year after Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and Indian film Secret Superstar. The weak box office is expected to continue until this Saturday when a new batch of films open in theaters for Chinese moviegoers to enjoy during the three-day May Day holiday. Read more on Mtime
Three Challenges Faced by The Animation Sector in China
Recently, Beijing Film Academy’s animation department and China’s Social Sciences Academic Press published a blue paper on the Chinese digital entertainment industry. This blue paper points out three challenges faced by the animation sector in China. First, lack of compelling storytelling is still a major weakness of most Chinese animated films. Second, unclear market positioning hinders many animated films from reaching their potential audiences. Last but not least, many government policies that are relevant to the sector are outdated. New favorable policies are needed to support continual growth of the sector. Read more on Sina
