Los Angeles, CA – January 10, 2018 –
A New Year for the China’s film industry.
Last year as much of Hollywood was consumed with the seemingly endless plethora of scandalous and appalling headlines; China’s growing film industry is making its debut into US film by utilizing and re-creating the Silk Road to export movies worldwide.
In Erich Schwartzel’s recent Wall Street Journal article, “China Recreates the Silk Road to Challenge Hollywood”, he relates the Silk Road as “an industrial initiative that mirrors the ancient trade route provides a market for Chinese films and culture.”
The Silk Road’s re-creation was through the 2013 initiative, “One Belt, One Road”, a proposal “would reconfigure global trading if it succeeds, and place Chinese investments including railways and power grids in at least 69 countries that mirror the ancient Silk Road, including parts of Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa,” wrote Schwartzel, adding that, “The program provides a natural export market for China’s growing movie industry.”
In 2015, Chinese officials found the “One Belt, One Road” initiative had created a “people-to-people-bond”, through co-productions and film festival collaborations with those countries along the ‘Silk Road’, leading to goals of financial integration, policy coordination and government support, providing China’s film industry with financial means and the ability to move easily past conflicts such as censorship.
As a revolutionary initiative mirroring the Silk Road to market Chinese film and culture, Chinese officials plan to invest roughly $1 trillion for such film projects through the year of 2049. (Wall Street Journal)
Photo: Poster for “Kung Fu Yoga” (2017) featuring Jackie Chan.
China’s co-production collaborations with such countries have allowed for and emphasized the exposition of Chinese culture and life worldwide, while investing in “One Belt, One Road” resources, such as high-speed railroads. This initiative has already taken flight through Beijing-based Shinework Media with planned slates of productions to be in discussion with several of the countries along the Silk Road route.
While Hollywood saw few Chinese titles rising to popularity last year, Chinese filmmakers did leave an imprint with high-grossing and resonating films such as “Kung Fu Yoga” (China + India) featuring Jackie Chan and “Wolf Warrior 2” (China + Africa).
Photo: Poster for “Wolf Warrior 2” (2017) featuring Jing Wu.
The New Year already has Chinese films and producers challenging (and dominating) Hollywood with near-future titles including Turkish producer, Murat Yavuz’s adaptation of the 13th-century Silk Road fairytale, “The Cook and the Princess” and Tan Bing’s $20 million USD action-packed film, “China Salesman”.
A successful collaboration relationship between the Chinese and African film industries was proven with last year’s “Wolf Warrior 2” and TriCoast Worldwide’s collaboration with Chinese company, Golden God Video & Culture Company, to represent “China Salesman” during past November’s 2017 American Film Market proved only further triumph with The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Ritman headlined, “’China Salesman’ Is the Most ‘AFM’ Film of AFM”.
In the recent Wall Street Journal article, Schwartzel reports, “’China Salesman’ director Tan Bing said the Belt & Road Initiative has boosted interest from overseas buyers of his movie. He has sold distribution rights in more than 30 countries along the route’”.
Photo: Schwartzel cited: “A poster for ‘China Salesman’ starring Mike Tyson and Steven Seagal. PHOTO: TRICOAST WORLDWIDE”.
Coming to US audiences in 2018, “China Salesman” is co-financed by Chinese conglomerate, Dalian Wanda Group (six-Oscar comedy ‘La La Land’), TIK and China’s state-run, China Film Group, with US support from Summit Entertainment and Lionsgates.
“CHINA SALESMAN” contains a worldwide cast and crew, including the lead of Dong Xue Li (“Sacrifice”, “The Wonderful Wedding”), Eriq Ebouaney (“Hitman”, “Transporter3”), Steven Seagal (“Above the Law”, “Under Siege”) and former heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson (“Rocky Balboa”, “The Hangover”).
As only the very beginning an enormous breakout of Chinese titles, TriCoast Worldwide will also representing Bing’s newest project, “FATAL CONTRACT”, featuring Jacky Zhao, Bai Ling, and Xuan Miao.
Watch the “CHINA SALESMAN” trailer here: https://vimeo.com/228301171. For more information, please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6015706/.
Special thanks: Erich Schwartzel from the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-recreates-the-silk-road-to-challenge-hollywood-1514390400
About TriCoast Worldwide:
TriCoast Worldwide is a premium International sales agent, representing the best of US and international films at all the major film markets. Sister company to TriCoast Entertainment and TriCoast Studios, the company is located at the Studio facility in Culver City, Los Angeles.
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