XFMedia Expands Production Services with China Film Group Alliance, Partners With David U. Lee
April 14 2008 - 10:03AM
PR Newswire (US)
BEIJING, April 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XFMedia
(NASDAQ:XFML), a leading media group in China, announced a
strategic alliance with China Film Group to collaborate on China
film production, distribution and sales. XFMedia has partnered with
David U. Lee, an expert in US-China co-productions, to establish
new subsidiary Xinhua Media Entertainment as a full service film
production and investment company based in Beijing, with a
satellite office in Los Angeles. Photo link:
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com/DavidLee/ XFMedia CEO Ms Fredy
Bush said, "China Film Group and Xinhua Media Entertainment have
established a strategic alliance to collaborate across various
sectors of the burgeoning Chinese film entertainment industry
including development, production, post-production, domestic and
international sales and distribution of film entertainment
content.' China Film Group ('CFG') is the largest and most
influential state-run film enterprise in China. All motion pictures
imported to China for theatrical release must go through CFG's
subsidiary, China Film Import & Export Corporation, while
another CFG subsidiary, China Film Co-production Corporation,
manages all Sino-foreign co-productions. China Film Group produces
more than 30 feature films, 400 TV plays and 100 telefilms each
year. According to statistics from the State Administration of
Radio, Film and Television ('SARFT'), since 2003 the movie box
office in China has grown at a compounded annual rate of
approximately 38%, from RMB 0.67 billion (US$96 million) in 2003 to
RMB 3.3 billion (US$470 million) in 2007. Compared to a mature and
saturated market such as the United States, with approximately
38,000 screens and annual box office revenues that have fluctuated
between US$9.2 and US$9.6 billion over the same five year period,
Chinese box office revenue is projected to continue its dramatic
growth. Nielsen NRG, a leading research company in film industry,
forecasted that Chinese box office revenue would exceed US$720
million by 2010, and that China would become the third largest
market for cinema, after USA and Japan. 'Additionally, Mr. Han
Sanping, Chairman of China Film Group has authorized Xinhua Media
Entertainment to act as its U.S. representative in facilitating the
negotiation of potential co-productions," Ms Bush said. "We believe
this alliance has significant potential for the Company in terms of
revenues, profitability and enhanced visibility.' Mr U. Lee, the
Managing Director of Xinhua Media Entertainment, has more than 11
years experience in the entertainment industry and was previously
Executive Vice President of Asian Operations at The Weinstein
Company, where he oversaw the company's business in Asia as well as
its $285 million Asian Film Fund. Before joining TWC, Mr Lee
produced ALREADY DEAD, an action- thriller, which was released by
Sony Pictures Entertainment in early 2008. He was also a
Co-Executive Producer in 2007 of the Jackie Chan and Jet Li film,
FORBIDDEN KINGDOM, which he structured as the highest profile China
and U.S. co-production to date. Through his relationship with the
China Film Group, Mr Lee has been a member of the China Film U.S.
Delegation since 2006. He received both his MBA and BA degrees from
the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern
California. 'We are delighted to have David join XFMedia, bringing
with him rich experience and relationships in co-productions
helping to further expand our services,' said XFMedia CEO Ms Fredy
Bush. 'Xinhua Media Entertainment makes XFMedia's production group
more robust and proves again how effective this company is as a
bridge between China and the international media community.' Xinhua
Media Entertainment has been established to provide a full range of
production and deal structuring services for high-profile motion
picture co- productions between China Film Group and producers from
around the world. The company is expected to be one of the
cornerstones of XFMedia's push into the fast-growing China
entertainment industry. 'David will leverage his expertise to
structure co-productions that achieve win-win collaborations
between China Film Group and major US studios with plans to
co-produce films in China," Ms Bush said. "We believe XFMedia's
positioning and experience in handling international China deals
provides a significant business growth opportunity which we plan to
build out with Xinhua Media Entertainment with David at the helm.'
Xinhua Media Entertainment is part of XFMedia's Production Group,
which produces a diverse array of quality programming, animated
shows and television drama series, as well as special effects and
TV channel packaging services. About Xinhua Finance Media Xinhua
Finance Media ('XFMedia'; Nasdaq: XFML) is a leading media group in
China with nationwide access to the upwardly mobile demographic.
Through its five synergistic business groups, Advertising,
Broadcast, Print, Production and Research, XFMedia offers a total
solution empowering clients at every stage of the media process and
connecting them with their target audience. Its unique platform
covers a wide range of media assets, including television, radio,
newspaper, magazine, outdoor, online and other media assets.
Headquartered in Beijing, the company has offices and affiliates in
major cities of China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou,
Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com/ . Safe Harbor Statement This
announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements
are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements can be identified by terminology such as "will,"
"expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes,"
"estimates," 'confident' and similar statements. Among other
things, quotations from management in this announcement contain
forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical
facts, including statements about XFMedia's beliefs and
expectations, the expected development of the film industry in
China, and the prospects of Xinhua Media Entertainment, are
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve
inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those contained in any forward- looking
statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, risks outlined in XFMedia's filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its registration
statement on Form F-1. All information provided in this press
release is as of the date hereof, and XFMedia undertakes no duty to
update such information, except as required under applicable law.
For more information, please contact: Media Contact Joy Tsang Tel:
+86-21-6113-5999 Email: IR Contact Jennifer Chan Lyman Tel:
+86-21-6113-5960 Email: DATASOURCE: Xinhua Finance Media CONTACT:
Media Contact, Joy Tsang, +86-21-6113-5999, or ; IR Contact,
Jennifer Chan Lyman, +86-21-6113-5960, or Web Site:
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com/
http://www.xinhuafinancemedia.com/DavidLee/
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