All articles by Sen-lun Yu – Page 5

  • News

    Chinese domestic films reach record 57% market share

    2008-09-26T03:47:00Z

    Chinese authorities have announced that the territory's box office revenues reached $347.21m (RMB2.368bn) up until the end of August, which is a 31% increase from the same period in 2007. In addition, the market share of local films (including co-production films) was much higher than in the past, accounting for ...

  • News

    Dream Weaver selected as China's Oscar entry

    2008-09-25T05:53:00Z

    China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has announced that it has selected documentary Dream Weaver - Beijing 2008 as the country's contender for best foreign-language film at the Academy Awards. It is the first time China has chosen a documentary for the category. The film, produced by ...

  • News

    Hong Kong submits Painted Skin as Oscar entry

    2008-09-25T04:51:00Z

    Hong Kong has selected Gordon Chan's fantasy epic Painted Skin as the territory's contender for this year's foreign-language Oscar, the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong (FMFP) said at a press conference on Wednesday. 'We think this film has something very special,' FMFP chairman Crucindo Hung said. 'It ...

  • News

    Pyramid and Longzhe launch cinema joint venture in China

    2008-09-18T11:18:00Z

    China-Indian joint venture Pyramid Longzhe Culture and Theater Limited (PLCTL) has launched its first cinema, in China's Huainan City of Anhui Province. The joint venture was set up by Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Group and Jiangsu-based Longzhe Group in March, with the help of Chinese state-owned China Society Music Research Board ...

  • News

    Honda drives up to Chinese romantic comedy

    2008-09-12T04:16:00Z

    Beijing-based Pegasus & Taihe Entertainment and China Film Group have announced that they will co-produce romantic comedy, Fit Lover, which is the third film in a successful series that also includes Call For Love and Crossed Lines. The two companies are also working with automobile company Guangzhou Honda, which has ...

  • News

    Almost Perfect grosses $7m despite Olympics opening

    2008-09-05T10:17:00Z

    Despite opening during the Beijing Olympics, Chinese comedy Almost Perfect has grossed $6.72m (RMB46m), making itthe best-selling local comedy of recent years. The film's distributor Polybona and production company Happy Star Culture and Media Corp yesterday celebrated its unexpected box office success.Previously, the biggest local comedies of the past two ...

  • News

    The Mummy 3 has strong opening in mainland China

    2008-09-05T10:01:00Z

    The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor had a strong opening in mainland China, where it was filmed as a co-production between Universal Pictures and Shanghai Film Group, despite a delayed release date. On the first day of release (September 3), the film grossed more than $2.05m (RMB14m), similar to ...

  • News

    Hwang leaves Shanghai-based Meridian Pictures

    2008-08-14T08:59:00Z

    Bill Hwang is leaving Shanghai-based Meridian Pictures Group after two-and-a-half years as the company's director of international distribution. A former executive of Korea's Tube Entertainment and Kang Jegyu Films, Hwang came on board the Shanghai-based company in March 2006. He will officially leave at the end of August. Meridian has ...

  • News

    Red Cliff becomes highest-grossing local film in China

    2008-08-12T05:23:00Z

    John Woo's war epic Red Cliff has become the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Chinese film history. The film's mainland China distributor, China Film Group, said it had surpassed the RMB300m benchmark on Monday with a haul of $44.08m (RMB302.4m). The figure broke the RMB290m record set by Zhang Yimou's Curse ...

  • News

    Beijing box office expected to drop 50% during Olympics

    2008-08-12T04:50:00Z

    The Olympic Gamesare drawing attention away from Chinese cinemas, especially in the host city of Beijing, where exhibitors estimate that box office sales dropped by 50% over the three-day weekend (August 8-10). China's public services and private companies all had the day off on Friday (Aug 8), the opening day ...

  • News

    Dadi, China Film to co-produce Confucius biopic

    2008-08-05T04:22:00Z

    Beijing-based Dadi Century Film and China Film Group plan to co-produce $22m (RMB150m) biopic Confucius, to be directed by Hu Mei who is known in China for directing historical TV dramas. Dadi and China Film will also co-finance, with Chui Po-chu (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle) as producer ...

  • News

    China opens up talent industry to foreign investment

    2008-08-01T05:46:00Z

    China's State Council has amended its regulations to allow investors from Hong Kong and Macau to launch their own artist management companies in mainland China. Hong Kong and Macau artist management companies are also allowed to set up mainland branches under the new policy.In addition, foreign investors not from Hong ...

  • News

    China Film, Enlight team to produce new media shorts

    2008-07-31T11:50:00Z

    Chinese state-owned China Film Group Corporation and private media group Enlight Media are teaming up to produce short films for new media platforms. The two groups aim to produce 100 short films in the coming year. According to Wang Changtian, president of Enlight Media Group, the films will be three ...

  • News

    Bank of Beijing grants loans to Polybona, Enlight

    2008-07-30T05:48:00Z

    China's Bank of Beijing has made loans of $14.64m (RMB100m) each to two mainland film companies - Polybona Film Distribution and Enlight Media Group - to fund their production and distribution operations in the coming year. The bank announced the loans yesterday as part of its 'cultural and creative industry ...

  • News

    Red Cliff grosses $26m in opening weekend

    2008-07-14T10:31:00Z

    John Woo's war epic Red Cliff swept across five Asian territories in its opening weekend and set new box office records in China and Korea.The two-hour film was released on Thursday (July 10)in mainland China, Korea, Taiwan andHong Kong, and on Friday in Singapore, andhas grosseda total of around $26.04m ...

  • News

    The Mummy 3 not yet approved for Chinese release

    2008-07-11T14:47:00Z

    It seems that havingChinese elements in a filmdoes not necessarily result inan easy green light from the Chinese censors. Universal Pictures' summer blockbuster The Mummy: The Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor may be yet another film to face censor troubles in China.The film was originally slated to be released in ...

  • News

    Red Cliff has record-breaking opening in mainland China

    2008-07-11T10:43:00Z

    The first part of John Woo's war epic Red Cliff had a strong opening in major Asian territories on Thursday (July 10), grossing around $4.7m in total from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.In mainland China, the film grossed more than $2.92m (RMB20m) on its opening day, according to ...

  • News

    China box office up 55% in first half of 2008

    2008-07-07T04:54:00Z

    The first half of 2008 saw impressive growth at the China box office, with total receipts reaching $237.32m (RMB1.63bn), a 55% increase compared to the first half of 2007, according to government figures. Industry players estimate that the total box office for 2008 will reach $583.09m (RMB4bn). Despite several natural ...

  • News

    Kung Fu Panda breaks China record for animated features

    2008-07-03T04:40:00Z

    Paramount Pictures International's Kung Fu Panda has become the highest-grossing animation ever in mainland China, raking in $14.6m (RMB100m) in ten days. The film is also the first animated feature film that has grossed over RMB100m, which is generally seen as a benchmark for blockbuster films in China.Previously, the best-selling ...

  • News

    Beijing New Film Association expands into production

    2008-07-01T04:03:00Z

    Beijing-based cinema management company, New Film Association, is stepping into film production and investment via a new outfit Shengshi Huarui Film Investment and Management Ltd. The company's first project is a $500,000 (RMB3m) satirical comedy The Debt Of 105,000 by first-time feature filmmaker Ji Yu, about a farmer coming to ...