Ellen R Eliasophhas been appointed to the new post of managing director of China at Warner BrosPictures International.

Eliasoph willset up and run a company office in Shanghai, from where she will oversee thesubsidiary's Beijing office as well as its Hong Kong-based productionsand acquisitions staff.

Herresponsibilities will include supervising the studio's theatricaldistribution in China and working with other subsidiaries of Warner BrosEntertainment to gain a foothold in the fast-emerging Chinese market.

She will reportto Sue Kroll, president of marketing, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, president ofdistribution, at Warner Bros Pictures International.

In addition, shewill oversee the studio's feature film acquisitions and production workin the Greater China region, reporting to Richard Fox, executive vice presidentof international at Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

"Over thelast few years, we have identified China as a major growth market. Given thegrowing commercial potential of Chinese films, Ellen will be pivotal in ourefforts there," Fox said in a statement.

Eliasoph is a12-year veteran of Warner Bros Asia Pacific and most recently served asexecutive vice president of corporate investments and business affairs.

She negotiatedthe first revenue-sharing theatrical release in China in 1994 and more recentlyoversaw the establishment of the company's first two Chinese-languageproductions, Turn Left, Turn Right and the 10-film Swordsmen Of The Passes slate.