China Film Consumption Year

Source: Beijing IFF

China Film Consumption Year launch

The China Film Consumption Year has been launched in Beijing in a bid to boost box office revenue and stimulate local economy through cross-promotion across various industry sectors.

The year-long initiative will put aside no less than $137m (RMB1bn) for cinema-going deals and subsidies led by the China Film Administration alongside financial institutions the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, China UnionPay, and film ticketing platforms Maoyan and Taopiaopiao,

From April 18 till the end of the Chinese New Year period in 2026, various benefits such as discount vouchers, cash vouchers and lucky draws will be put in place for local cinemagoers. To increase the frequency of their visit to theatres, promotional events such as Watch a Film Together on Weekends will be introduced, while airline mileage can be used to redeem cinema tickets.

Both local consumers and overseas visitors are also encouraged to travel to filming locations and dine out in partner restaurants to enhance film-induced tourism and boost local consumption.

The China Film Consumption Year was launched in a formal ceremony at the opening gala of the Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) on Friday (April 18), as it was officiated on stage by more than a dozen representatives from various government agencies and participating corporate companies.

Most creatively, the first ever China Film Dragon Label credit card was also unveiled by China Construction Bank and China UnionPay. Chinese audiences are most familiar with the Golden Dragon logo, which is given by the authorities to insert at the beginning of every Chinese film to show that censorship has been cleared.

Among the opening’s international guests were Janet Yang, the first Asian American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who delivered a keynote speech, first in fluent Mandarin before switching to English, and highlighted the importance of cultural exchange between the US and China, the world’s two largest film markets.

Outside the BIFF opening ceremony, the two nations are still at loggerheads over tariff issues. While Hollywood imports have not been officially curbed, Warner Bros Animation’s The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie had a dismal opening weekend, taking barely $200,000 (RMB1.4m) from April 18-20.

Despite the unprecedented local and international success of local animation Ne Zha 2, China’s box office remains sluggish post-Chinese New Year.

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