Chinese cinemas offered discounts to boost local film’s market share
Worried about competition from U.S. and foreign titles, Chinese film industry regulators have established financial incentives for any cinema chain that derives at least 50% of its annual box office revenue from Chinese films. Tian Jin, deputy director of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, complained recently that the market share of Chinese films in China had dropped to 41.4%. The incentive will take the form of a fee rebate – 5% of all ticket sales – that theater owners pay to the National Film Development Fund Management Committee. If half of a theater owner’s revenue comes from domestic films, the full fee is refunded. If 45% of sales come from Chinese films, 80% of the royalty is donated. If the percentage falls below 45% but exceeds the previous year’s domestic market share, the discount is 50% of the royalty.
Bona Film Group secures $20 million line of credit
The Chinese group Bona Film has arranged a $20 million revolving line of credit agreement with East West Bank. The secured line of credit will be used to fund future productions and to acquire international film distribution rights in China. At the American Film Market, Bona agreed to buy the Chinese rights to the action-comedy sequel Red 2 and the fantasy-adventure Mortal Instruments: City of Bones directed by Harald Zwart. For both films, he is planning day and date releases with North America. The company is also seeking a government license for Allen Hughes’ crime thriller city destroyedwhich he acquired in 2011 and aims to release next year.
Screen Australia funds four documentaries
Screen Australia is investing A$780,000 ($813,000) in four documentaries under its Signature documentary programme. Writer/Director Judy Rymer’s Charlotte’s story will follow a young Australian woman’s fight for justice after her horrific gang rape in Kenya. In Bob we trust, by writer/director Lynn-Maree Milburn, tells the story of 77-year-old Father Bob Maguire, who continues to care for Melbourne’s poor despite his forced retirement and expulsion by the Catholic Church. Writer/director Sophia Turkiewicz Remember me will tell the story of a mother and daughter’s journey from a Siberian gulag to Australia. In Tyke: animal outlawproducers/directors Susan Lambert and Stefan Moore will tell the story of a circus elephant rampage. –Don Groves
Singapore creates legal TV directory to fight piracy
Singapore has such a high pay-TV piracy rate that an industry trade group and media law firm have created an online directory of content available from legitimate sources. The website, http://www.finddigitaltv.com, was launched yesterday. According to a report by research firm Media Partners Asia, Singapore has the fifth highest crime rate per capita in the world. Trade group Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia said that Singapore, despite its small population, has “the highest per capita incidence of peer-to-peer infringement of English-language pay-TV broadcasts in the Asia-Pacific region”. Singapore is also ranked 24th out of at least 48 international markets in terms of global offenses by volume. That’s just one place behind South Korea, which had a population of 49.8 million last year, compared to Singapore’s 5.2 million that year.
UK series ‘River Cottage’ is getting an Oz spin-off
Granada Media Australia and Keo Films will produce River Cottage Australiathe first international version of the popular British lifestyle series River Cottage created by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Commissioned by paybox Foxtel and its channel The LifeStyle, the series will test Australians’ food knowledge and resilience in setting up a sustainable farm. Fearnley-Whittingstall will act as a mentor when production begins in early 2013. The producers are looking for an Australian to direct the series.
