MPAA hosts screenings of US-China co-productions

Mumbai: Eight U.S.-China co-produced films will be showcased next month in a program jointly sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) and China Film Co-production Corp. with support from the Film Bureau of China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT).

In addition to two private screenings to be held at the MPAA Screening Room on 1-2 November 1,public screenings will be held at Kentlands Stadium 10 cinemas within the greater Washington, DC area from 3-10 November.

Films included as part of the US-China Co-Production Film Screenings include Love in Space, Shanghai, Red Cliff (Parts 1 and 2), Waiting in Beijing, as well as a special screening of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan to be attended by the film’s producer, Wendi Murdoch.

 

“In the past decade, as the Chinese film industry has matured, so has the relationship between the American film industry and Chinese filmmakers, Chinese audiences, and even the Chinese government,” said Christopher Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the MPAA.  “One of my top priorities as a representative of the American film industry is to build upon that relationship, to help it deepen and blossom, so that it can form the foundation for a world class film and cultural sector. We strongly believe that co-productions are a tremendous opportunity for both our industries to learn and prosper together.”

He continued, “In 2009, we hosted the first-ever U.S.-China Co-production Forum in Beijing, following it up last year with a successful event in Los Angeles. I am delighted that this partnership is now being showcased in our nation’s capital area.”

“China’s rich cultural heritage has a great deal to offer the world. Together with Hollywood’s vast experience in both the making and marketing of movies, we can be model collaborators in producing world-class movies that appeal to a global audience,” said Tong Gang, Director-General of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and head of the Chinese delegation attending the opening screening.

China is currently one of the biggest movie markets globally, and also the one with the greatest potential growth. The number of films produced in China grew from 82 in 2000 to 526 in 2010.  At the same time, the number of cinema screens has increased to 6,200 and is expected to more than double to 16,500 by 2015. Box office, which passed $1.5 billion in 2010, is forecast to reach $5 billion by 2015.