China Bucks Trend at MIPTV

With an extended series of high level "Focus on China" activities and multiple announcements of business deals in both directions, the PRC took the opportunity of the first post-economic crisis industry convention to project its increased confidence in engaging with international media on equal terms.

The largest ever Chinese group at MIPTV in Cannes (which is represented in China by CMM-I) was led by SARFT Vice Minister Tian Jin and a senior delegation that included the organizers of the China International Animation Festival in Hangzhou and Hunan TV supremo Ouyang Changlin. A total of 300 Chinese delegates made the trip to France with CCTV’s commercial agency CITVC and the Capital Producers Association dominating an expanded China United Pavilion that also featured Jiangtoon Animation, Beijing TV and many others.

CITVC alone reported export sales of over RMB20.52 million (US$3 million) at the market, including deals for The Legend of Bruce Lee with RAI of Italy and a raft of documentary sales to European territories.

The Capital Producers Association, which brings together over 80 of China's leading independent producers, built on its debut at MIPTV in 2008 by coordinating a series of major deal announcements. These included the first Sino-German co-production deal for a series of TV movies signed between Action Concept and Asian Union. The latter company was also celebrating its strategic agreement with FremantleMedia, which will see the two companies co-operating on the distribution of new documentary strands on local stations across China. Meanwhile, Crystal Animation arrived in Cannes fresh from its appointment to provide graphic services to the 2012 London Olympics to ink a deal with the UK's Platinum Films. Wuhan TV was another well established Chinese company on the acquisition trail at MIPTV, picking up over 100 hours of science and technology content for its long running strand.

At the "Focus on China" conferences organized by SARFT itself, Tian Jin welcomed international partners to undertake drama, animation and documentary co-productions with leading Chinese companies. For the first time, SARFT felt confident enough to back up these words by organizing panels featuring both the foreign and Chinese parties involved in a series of international co-productions.

SARFT believes these projects provide templates for the future and, in a clear sign that it is prepared to put aside political sensitivities to achieve high end production objectives, the documentary session panel included Brian Leith, Executive Producer at the BBC's Natural History Unit. He spoke about its co-production with CTV Media on the landmark series Wild China.

At the animation and drama sessions, leading Chinese players including Wang Lei of Shanghai Media Group's Toonmax channel outlined clear guidelines for foreign companies interested in partnering on new animation features, while leading drama producer/director You Xiaogang (Zhongbei) joined his counterpart from Russia's Ren TV to explain how the two organizations approached the filming of the first Sino-Russian TV drama series.

Unlike previous years when the presence of senior SARFT leaders has been relevant mainly to the Chinese delegation itself, this year Tian Jin was forthright in projecting SARFT's role not only as regulator but facilitator on an international basis. Indeed, the relaxed style of the visit and the acceptance of frank and open interviews with leading journalists from Hollywood Reporter, Television Asia, Content Asia and MIPTV Daily News contrasted with the previous China Day at MIPTV in 2004, when Vice Minister Hu Zhaofan was relatively guarded throughout the event.

At the official China Day luncheon, Tian Jin took the opportunity to go further in describing why China was increasing its exhibition presence and networking activities in the middle of a major global recession. He told the invited guests that entertainment industries have special responsibilities in tough times and that China is fully prepared to play an active role in helping the industry weather the storm.

At a private function attended by Tian Jin and Reed Midem CEO Paul Zilk, the leading role played by CITVC in building China's presence in Cannes was marked by the awarding of the first ever MIPTV Platinum Award to CITVC Marketing Director, Madame Cheng Chunli. The Award seeks to mark the achievements of a single executive who has represented his or her company and country at MIPTV for many years.

Tian Jin told senior Chinese delegation leaders that SARFT is committed to MIPTV and MIPCOM as crucial international platforms for the increasingly sophisticated exchanges now being inked by Chinese producers and distributors. He promised that SARFT will continue to support the holding of special activities at future markets.

Cutting through all the good news, the very significant efforts made by the Chinese delegation at MIPTV also reveal the strength and the speed with which the government has acted to make the most of the opportunities provided by a falling Euro and the retrenchment mentality now prevalent in many developed markets.

This new sense that China is prepared to invest in western-style marketing to further progress its "Go Abroad" project for cultural products was symbolized by the hoisting of a major outside banner promoting the China International Animation Festival at the Palais des Festivals, the first time China has taken such a prominent position.

With Chinese investors playing an increasing role in the financing of co-productions and PRC drama and animation producers honing in on the qualities that have led to successful exports of Chinese features in recent years, China's performance at MIPTV should not be seen as a one-off move, but the start of a centrally coordinated campaign.

Indeed, the crucial difference between 2009 and 2004, the last time a China Day was held at MIPTV, is that China has now built catalogues with real commercial relevance. Not only can China now supply more of the high volume, low cost content required by cash-strapped cable channels, it is also starting to satisfy world interest in the huge and strange country where the entertainment industries continue to grow.