Among the small but growing ranks of private distribution companies in China, Beijing PolyBona Film Publishing has emerged as a company to watch, with its flair for marketing, box-office success and an ability to attract high-profile product.

　　Launched in 1999 by former China Film distribution executive Yu Dong, the company was one of the first private outfits to be granted a distribution license by the China Film Bureau. Since then it has distributed around 100 movies in China with combined box office of $74.2m (RMB600m). Last year it had a 15% share of the country’s total box office and this year expects the figure to rise to 25%.

　　“We’ve been one of the few companies on the front line—observing the China film market from the first reforms to the present system, ”says Yu, when asked to explain the company’s success. “We’ve also formed strategies by observing the overseas film business.”

　　As only two Chinese companies—China Film and Huaxia—are allowed to handle imported films. PloyBona focuses on local productions and the growing number of Hong Kong-China co-productions that are also classed as local product.

　　In the past few years, Chinese films have been taking a larger share of local box office and PolyBona has been well positioned to take advantage. It handled high-profile films such as Media Asia’s Initial D, which grossed $8.7m (RMB70m) over the summer, and Emperor Motion Picture’s Jackie Chan vehicle The Myth, which claimed more than $9.9m (RMB80m) over the National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday in October.

　　The company has also scored a few notable successes with smaller mainland Chinese titles. Aside from big-budget blockbusters such as Zhang Yimou’s martial-arts epics and Feng Xiaogang comedies, mainland films usually struggle at the local box office. However, Gu Changwei’s Peacock—a fine example of the kind of Chinese film that festival crowds adore but which usually turns off Chinese audiences—grossed a respectable $1.2m (RMB10m) earlier this year thanks to PloyBona careful handling.

　　Yu built word of mouth by giving Peacock a platform release, screening it once a week at Beijing’s Sun Dong An Cinema for eight weeks starting last December. He then stockpiled prints around the country in time for the Berlin film festival where the film screened in competition. As soon as Peacock won a Grand Jury Silver Bear, the prints were rushed to theatres

　　“In China, it’s not only the audience you have to convince, you also have to build word of mouth among cinema managers,” says Yu. “I used the screenings in Beijing to persuade the cinemas that people would come to see the film. Also that we could control piracy.”

　　Such a degree of distribution savvy in a country where the art of film promotion is still in its infancy has earned PolyBona the nickname “the Chinese Miramax”. However, Yu is aware its future prospects are linked to the development of the Chinese theatrical market.

　　Initial D: the summer hit took $8.7m at the

　　local box office, while The Myth (top), starring

　　Jackie Chan,had a $9.9m National Day holiday

　　Last year, China’s box office showed significant growth for the first time in decades—climbing50% to $185.5m (RMB1.5bn)—and Yu believes it will grow at a similar rate this year. “The main reason is the number of screens is growing rapidly” he says. “Last year 200newscreens opened in China and we’re expecting 300 this year. If multiplex building continues at its present level, in five years’ time, the Chinese box office could be worth RMB10bn ($1.2bn).”

　　Although widely regarded as a private entity. PolyBona is part of an experiment to wed the entrepreneurial strengths of private companies with the scale and backing of large state-run enterprises. In 2003 it became part of the culture and arts division of the sprawling state-owned Poly Group conglomerate, which also include Asian Union Film & Media, production company Eastern Dragon Film and a chain of cinemas in Chongqing.

　　This means that, while technically state-owned ( Poly group has a 51% stake in the company ), Yu still operates pretty much as an independent but has the option of co-operating with other Poly subsidiaries. Time will tell whether this arrangement works out, but so far Yu appears to be the golden boy of Poly’s film businesses and has also been placed in charge of Eastern Dragon..

　　Meanwhile, like many emerging Chinese film companies, Yu also plans to tap into overseas funding. “Next year we’ll be seeking foreign investment and collaborative joint ventures to fund expansion,” he reveals. He has ambitious plans including production finance, international distribution and local distribution of foreign movies, when regulations allow. Although only two companies handle imports, the Film Bureau occasionally grants a title to a state-run studio. In 2003, PolyBona co-operated with Changchun Film Studio to distribute Pirates Of The Caribbean which grossed around $3.7m (RMB30m), ranking fifth among China’s 20 revenue-sharing imports that year.

　　The company has already made investments in production, co-financing films such as romantic drama Foliage, starring Shu Qi and Liu Ye, and Li Hong’s Curse Of Lola, which premieres at the Tokyo International Film Festival

　　October 21 2005 Screen International Liz Shackleton

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