China Media Capital and Warner Bros Entertainment formed a $1 billion joint venture last year to develop and produce films for global distribution. Now, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is targeting India; and this year, Kochi’s Indywood Film Market and Mumbai’s Ultra Media & Entertainment Pvt Ltd had stalls in FILMART.
HKTDC Senior Service Promotion Manager Peggie Liu told Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) “India is now our target market given the size of its entertainment industry. We have to study the issues faced by the Indian entertainment industry players to come here to showcase their products.”
Liu added, “We do not know the volume of business that is normally done by the exhibitors as they do not share the information with us. However, the annual event that started 20 years back has seen ten-fold increase in the exhibitors from 75 in the year it was first held.”
Through FILMART, Hong Kong acts as a hub for the selling and acquisition of Chinese mainland TV dramas and films. According to HKTDC, it is an advantage for the former British colony as they get to open a window on the world for Chinese audience and bridge audiences from mainland China and Western countries. And for the first time, Cambodia, Dubai, Macau, Confederation of Spanish Producers and others have set up their regional pavilions.