China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

SARFT on July 1 posted Implementation of “One-Record Dual-Review” Film Licensing Regime on its website. According to the new regulation, which took effect on July 1 2011, provincial level radio, film, and TV administration agencies will be in charge of recording film scripts, and have the obligation to submit relevant info to SARFT.

Regulatory agencies at provincial level will conduct the first round of script review. If the script is permitted by the provincial level review, then the production side should take this permission to SARFT to undergo final review and, if successful, receive a Film Screening License.

Hollywood Movieworks announced recently that it will locate its new Future World film production base in the Capital Economic Zone of Beijing. It is understood the building of the production base will take 10 years with total investment surpassing USD3.3b. The finished base will cover some 8 square kilometers.

Mr. John Robinson, chairman of Hollywood Movieworks, showed confidence about the integration of Hollywood resources into China. “We are willing to work with China New Culture Investment Fund, and ChinaClicks2 Group to build up a world-class film production base in China”, he said.

Research conducted by Entgroup shows that China had a total box office of RMB5.5 billion in the first half 2011, rising by 15% y-o-y, the best performance on record. It is estimated that China will enjoy RMB13 billion of box office sales in the whole year of 2011.

A strategic agreement has been signed by the Committee of Datong Film & TV Culture Park, and the British-based Sino-UK Culture and Innovation Industry Association, according to Entgroup. Under the agreement, the two sides will work together on Film & TV copyright trade, Film & TV copyright exchange, trade of cultural intelligence rights, and trade in artwork, etc. It is understood that the two sides have been preparing to co-produce a police-related film named Never Stop (Yongbu Zhibu).

A total of 4 Chinese brands have secured product placement deals in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, according to Entgroup. They are Meters Bonwe T-shirt series, Yili Shuhua Milk, Lenovo Computer and TCL 3D TV. Meters Bonwe placed its product in Transformers2 in 2009, making it the first Chinese brand to secure a commercial placement in a Hollywood film. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is expected to premier in China on July 21.