4DPLEX EXPERIENCES ADDED IN CAMBODIA, THAILAND
Korean tech firm CJ 4DPLEX has struck a deal with Thailand’s Major Cineplex to add two ScreenX locations in Cambodia and Thailand. One will be located at the AEON Mall Mean Chey, have almost 500 seats and have a 75-foot-wide central screen, making it the largest ScreenX auditorium in Southeast Asia. The other will be at Bangkok’s IConSiam Mall location, debuting on July 27.
ScreenX is a multi-projection system with an immersive 270-degree field of view. That creates a virtual reality-like setting with cinema quality resolution. Major’s first ScreenX launched in 2022 at its Siam Paragon location in central Bangkok.
“We’ve received amazing reactions and feedback from our moviegoers for ScreenX in Thailand and expect to generate the same response at our Cambodia location,” said Vicha Poolvaraluk, CEO, Major Cineplex.
The two companies previously partnered on 4DX installations, where viewers experience motion, vibration, water, wind, snow, lightning, scents and other special effects. There are now 10 4DX locations across Thailand in Siam Paragon, Ratchayothin, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Central Westgate, Promenade, Central Festival Eastville, Korat, Mega Bangna and Icon Siam.
Major Cineplex has more than 177 locations with 828 screens in Thailand and abroad.
APPOINTMENT
Debbie Ramsay has been appointed as the new editor of “5 News,” ITN, the British producer best known for producing news programming for major U.K. broadcasters, announced on Monday. Ramsay joins “5 News” from Channel 4 where she is commissioning editor for news and current affairs and was previously with the BBC for 16 years.
It is a time of growth for “5 News” – across Q1 2023, the program grew 12% year-on-year among individuals, averaging 2.9% share and 301,000 viewers. The upward trajectory continued across April and May with the overall program share up by 30% year on year.
Ramsay will take up the post later in the fall, taking over from Cait FitzSimons who has been “5 News” editor for five years.
MIND THE GAP
The Tokyo Gap Financing Market is set to make a return this year as an in-person event, having been held online only for the past three years due to the COVID pandemic. The three-day project market which is operated in parallel with the Tokyo International Film Festival, will run Oct 25-27 and be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center “Hamamatsucho-kan.”
Organizers say that the market will cater to 15 live action and animation film projects that come with at least 60% of their finance attached. The focus will again be on projects originating from Asian territories or international projects that incorporate Asian elements.
TAIPEI AWARDS
The Taipei Film Festival gave out its International New Talent awards, including a cash award of NT$ 600,000 to Grand Prix winner, Tunisian film“Under the Fig Trees.” The special jury prize was awarded to the Yemeni film“The Burdened.” Japanese film“Amiko”received the Taiwanese Film Critics Society Award while the Audience choice award went to the Taiwanese film“A Place Called Silence.” The two main awards were selected by a jury headed by Chen Shiang-chyi, a Taiwanese actress, and also including Korean producer Oh Jung-wan, Hong Kong director Samson Chiu Liang Ching, Taiwanese director Lou Yi-an and the Berlinale head of programming Mark Peranson.
Guests in attendance included Kai Ko (director of“Bad Education”), Sam Quah (director of“A Place Called Silence”), Aleksandra Kostina (producer of“Pamfir”), Kattia G. Zúñiga (director of“Sister & Sister”), Amr Gamal and Chen Ming-chang (director and music composer of“The Burdened”),Ann Oren (director of“Piaffe”) and Amanda Nell Eu and Foo Fei Ling (director and producer, respectively, of“Tiger Stripes”). Popular actor George Hu hosted the ceremony.
NEW LINE INTO TAIWAN
BBC Earth and BBC First have become available on Taiwanese OTT platform, LINE TV and can be found in two new branded zones on the service. The platform has 5 million monthly active users and more than 10,000 hours of licensed content including Taiwan drama, Chinese drama,animation, Korean drama and original dramas. The natural history and science documentary brand, BBC Earth, has shows including “Frozen Planet,”“Planet Earth”and “Blue Planet.” BBC First carries series including“Sherlock,”“Maigret”and“Call the Midwife.”
“[This deal] represents the growing audience of our content in Taiwan,” said Ding Ke, senior VP and GM of BBC Studios Greater China. “The LINE TV platform is defined by its wide range of films and programs and is therefore honored to cooperate with BBC Studios, one of the world’s leading content providers, to further enrich our high-quality content,” said Chen Li-ren, CEO of LINE TV.
RELEASE DATE
Sandeep Reddy Vanga‘s gangster action drama “Animal,” starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandana, Bobby Deol and Tripti Dimri, has postponed its release date from Aug. 11 to Dec. 1. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar’s T-Series, Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios and Pranay Reddy Vanga’s Bhadrakali Pictures. It will release in the Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.
