Chinese state-owned China Film Group Corporation and private media group Enlight Media are teaming up to produce short films for new media platforms. The two groups aim to produce 100 short films in the coming year.

According to Wang Changtian, president of Enlight Media Group, the films will be three to five minutes long and are designed to be distributed on the internet and mobile phones. Shooting of the films has already started.

The main purpose of the project, according to Wang, is to explore new film-making talents as well as to explore new media platforms. Wang said that Enlight plans to cooperate with China's major telecom carriers such as China Mobile and Unicom, as well as several newly-risen new media companies as the distribution channels for the films.

The project marks the first collaboration between China Film Group and Enlight Media, a media firm which stepped into film business last year. Originally a TV production company and media event promoter, Enlight Media expanded into film distribution in 2007 and distributed five films.

Enlight Pictures, the group's film business wing, plans to distribute ten films theatrically this year.

The short film project also marks another film company moving into the production ofcontent aimed at new media users, in the wake of the burgeoning trend in China to view entertainment content via new media platforms. Previously, Zonbo Media was one of the few companies which produced films specifically for mobile phones. Last year, Megajoy Films began to step into new media and has produced short films on its video-streaming site.

Earlier in May, satellitebroadcaster Phoenix TV's new media wing announced that it would collaborate with video-sharing site PP Live to produce a 52-episode interactive TV drama.

Meanwhile, two large video-sharing sites in China have received substantial financing this year. Youku.com raised $30m from US hedge fund Maverick Capital in July, while Tudou.com raised $57m in April.

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