Post-Pandemic Polarization of China’s Film Market Tests Arthouse Films and Firms
Rebecca Davis editorChina’s $1.2 billion Lunar New Year box office broke world records earlier this month, but Chinese film buyers and sales agents are not jumping to interpret that as a sign of lasting market recovery, particularly for arthouse productions and indie firms.Despite astonishing ticket sales, some 80% of the six-day holiday box office went to just the top two out of seven titles — “Detective Chinatown 3″ and ‘Hi, Mom” (pictured) — causing the others to underperform.This, coupled with the fact that the Chinese New Year release window is uniquely popular, means that the trumpeted success “is therefore no indication that after the holiday, the theatrical market will return to what it was before the pandemic,” says Cindy Lin, CEO