China Media Monitor Headlines Archives

Giant-screen movie operator Imax is in further talks with film companies in China. The Canadian company told the Hollywood Reporter that it has 20 theaters in China and expects to have more than 30 theaters in commercial multiplexes by 2013. In June, Imax announced a 2010 release for its first foreign language film, Aftershock, a cooperation with Huayi Brothers.

Zhejiang Publishing Group set up a new subsidiary called Zhejiang Publishing Digital Media Ltd on December 8, reports Zhejiang Daily. At the launch ceremony, the new company signed a cooperative agreement to develop an online and mobile phone publishing business with China Mobile Zhejiang and the Zhejiang Broadcasting and TV College.

Leading mainland BitTorrent site BT China has been inaccessible since December 4, according to China Business News. The State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) shut the site down because the operator does not possess a license to publish audio-visual content online. The broadcast industry regulator shut down two other popular BitTorrent download sites by November: Garden of Eden BT Downloads and UU Bird BT Downloads. So far this year, SARFT has shut down 414 websites for lacking the relevant license or hosting "vulgar" content.

High profile mainland director Zhang Yimou has started preparing for his next project 13 Women in Nanking (Jinling Shisan Chai), according to production partner Beijing New Picture Film. Zhang Yimou plans to invite well-known actors from China and Hollywood to star in the film, which will dramatize the events that occurred during the Nanjing Massacre. The film will have a budget of around US$100 million. Shooting is slated to start in October 2010.

Mainland online video site LeTV.com plans to sue P2P video streaming service provider PPLive for violating LetTV's exclusive webcast rights to 32 films and TV dramas, according to Sina. In a previous case, PPLive was ordered to pay LeTV RMB20,000 (US$2,928) for webcasting a film and a TV drama in contravention of LeTV's exclusive webcast rights.