Three Hong Kong distributors - Golden Scene, Edko Films and Panorama Entertainment - and local exhibitor Newport have set up a joint venture distribution company, Go Film Distribution, which aims to specialise in locally produced films.

The company - which has been set up in response to the shrinking market share of Hong Kong movies - has the support of both the Newport Circuit, which owns 10 cinemas in Hong Kong, and Edko's Broadway circuit, which owns nine sites with 41 screens.

"Hong Kong currently only has two circuits - Newport and Gala - dedicated to local films," said Golden Scene managing director Winnie Tsang. "We aim to increase screening slots for Hong Kong movies and ensure they're supported by the best possible marketing campaigns."

The company's first release will be comedy Ho Qing, co-produced by Panorama and China Star Entertainment, which is scheduled for release on September 11. Directed by Chan Hing-Ka, the film stars Louis Koo and Eason Chan as a pair of enterprising graduates who build a pornography empire when they can't find conventional jobs.

Go Film also plans to release Carol Lai's romantic drama, The Floating Landscape, produced by Hong Kong's Filmko Entertainment, in October and Aubrey Lam's Hidden Track, produced by Teddy Chen's Jin Chuan Pictures, in November.

Golden Scene and Edko are two of Hong Kong's leading distributors with a reputation for successfully handling both arthouse titles and mainstream US product in Hong Kong. Panorama, initially a video distributor, has recently moved into theatrical distribution and plans to co-finance up to five Chinese-language movies over the coming year.