1905 movie network news On July 8th, several cinemas in London, Birmingham and Sheffield, thousands of kilometers away from China, were waiting patiently for a Chinese film to enter.
What they are waiting for is an anti-epidemic movie that is currently being shown in China. From the perspective of ordinary people, the film truly restores the ordinary and heroic anti-epidemic images of the people of China, and shows the endless "spring power".
"The films are mainly distributed in London and several other famous university towns, and there are more international students in China — — They are very important audiences for Chinese films in the UK. " In an interview with 1905 Film Network, Luo San, the executive deputy general manager of 1905 Film, who is in charge of the overseas distribution of the film in the above areas, revealed that the focus of the British distribution was local China students, and the summer file was the climax of their viewing.
Prior to this, on July 1, the film was released simultaneously in South Africa, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa. Compared with the relatively mature distribution channels and rich experience in other overseas regions, Africa is more like a "new continent" that needs to be reclaimed urgently for the overseas distribution of domestic films.
March into mainstream commercial cinemas in Africa
When the new film is released, it will be announced first.
In order to spread the film release information to the local potential audience in the shortest time, 1905 Film Industry and local partner BrandChina formed a joint distribution team to carry out effective online and offline linkage publicity.
On the online side, we cooperated with one of the largest cinema brands in South Africa to publish a graphic introduction of the film on all its new media accounts, and rolled out a trailer with the release date.
"We also’ infiltrated’ a small financial program that is frequently used by local people. Just like you log in to the software/applet of a domestic bank, you can easily understand the film information and purchase tickets while using the banking function. " This in-depth cooperation with local online brands makes Luo San very proud. She said, "We have similar publicity activities in the UK, but the cooperation is with offline merchants, who can get small gifts or enjoy shopping discounts with tickets."
Offline, the film’s physical posters and other materials are mainly placed in places where there are many Chinese activities, such as Chinatown and Chinese supermarkets. Combined with the consumption habits of local Chinese, the film screening cinema is located in several shopping centers with the most crowded and prosperous people in the most important cities in South Africa, and light box posters are arranged on the spot in advance.
Canal Walk Cinema, located in the center of Cape Town, South Africa, is one of them.
"Canal Walk is one of the largest shopping malls in Africa, and the Canal Walk Cinema is the largest cinema in Cape Town." Li Xiaoyong, general manager of BrandChina, said that in the past, Chinese films were mostly shown in art theaters. This time, "You are my Spring" can be shown in a mainstream commercial theater such as Canal Walk in the bustling city center, which is the first time.
Bravely break into "non-Hollywood"
Initially, most African countries began to learn from Nigeria’s "Nollywood" model, develop their own film industry, and expand channels through transnational cooperation and video websites. Nowadays, on the basis of the former, a "non-Hollywood" model of pan-African countries has evolved.
From 2010 to 2019, thanks to the demographic dividend and other factors, the potential and vitality of the African film market are gradually being seen by more people. Under this general trend, many foreign films have entered the African film market to look for opportunities, including domestic films such as Japan, South Korea, Japan and South Korea.
According to foreign media reports, in 2017, the number of screens in South Africa reached 782, and the number of screens per million people reached 13.79, ranking first among African countries. From 2010 to 2018, the total domestic box office in South Africa increased from 717.73 million rand (South African currency unit) to 1.3 billion rand, a rapid growth.
Therefore, the African premiere of You Are My Spring was set in South Africa, Tanzania and Mozambique, and other African countries are also arranging follow-up screenings one after another to truly enter Africa.
"Africa is a difficult issue for overseas distribution. With a vast territory and many dialects, the cinema market is also experiencing the impact of streaming media. This time, combining the film with the local situation, we decided to promote the film as an event worthy of attention for Chinese audiences. " Luo San admits that the distribution of domestic films in Africa is full of challenges. Need to adjust measures to local conditions, according to the local and then market conditions, targeted publicity.
Thanks to the upgrading of cinema equipment in South Africa, the feasibility of digital transmission was ensured, and the film was finally released simultaneously with China on July 1. Although it has experienced unspeakable difficulties and challenges, synchronization also means that the impact of domestic piracy and the interference of domestic word-of-mouth can be minimized. In this way, even in Africa, the local audience can see the film for the first time and make their own judgments.
African market expects more China films.
"From my own point of view, when I watched this movie, I felt that the emotional fragments in many movies can be empathetic to audiences in South Africa and around the world. This movie can touch you and me and touch the hearts of ordinary people. I understand that it tells a story about love and the difficulties that everyone in the world has experienced. "
Abdullah Regal, senior manager of cinema in Canal Walk Shopping Center, said that he had seen You Are My Spring. The local people have just experienced the epidemic in the film, so they can feel the same.
On July 7, local time, the film was also shown in the VIP hall of Emperor Palace Cinema in Johannesburg.
"The mainstream audience of the younger generation is still very interested in action movies and kung fu movies with oriental characteristics." Years of local experience have made Li Xiaoyong well aware of the local audience’s viewing preferences. Local cinemas have also expressed their expectation for more China films.
The overseas release of "You are My Spring" has opened up a broader space for further cooperation between China and South Africa in the field of film and cultural industry, and further promoted the common feelings of the Chinese and African people and deepened China-Africa friendship.
After participating in the overseas distribution of The Climbers, "You are My Spring" and other films, the overseas distribution of 1905 films involved about 50 important box office output countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and America.
As the most vital and energetic part of cultural output, domestic films going out to sea are easier to spread and express the essence and details of Chinese excellent culture, and bear the mission of carrying forward China’s 5,000-year civilization. This is also an important part of China’s progress from a big movie country to a powerful movie country.
In the future, we expect more excellent domestic films to sail out of the sea.
(Note: All the pictures except the poster are provided by the interviewee.)