In its latest digital upgrade,state-owned China Film Group has ordered ten new screen projectors due fordelivery to Beijing in October. The deal is part of the group's ongoing effortsin having 161 digital cinemas up and running by the end of 2004.

The 10 new digital projectors are 2KDSR servers supplied by GDC Technology - the same Singaporean companypreviously responsible for equipping 15 of China Film's digital cinemas.

The move to launch 161 digitalcinemas involves an investment of $18m (RMB150m), says Jiang Defu, vicepresident of China Film's Digital Centre.

Ten imported digital films areallowed to be released in China this year, up from last year's six - the quotafor which is separate from that of 20 for imported foreign films in 35 mm.

Jiang says that the release dates ofdigital films have already been set till January next year. I Robot will be screened in digitalformat in November, followed by Hong Kong's Stephen Chow-directed Kung Fu Hustle andChinese director Feng Xiaogang's A World Without Thieves in December.