By Travis Johnson
Arclight Films today announced the creation of Chinalight, a development initiative specifically designed to foster Chinese-Australian co-productions. Submissions are now open to proposals from Australian film practitioners, with successful applicants invited to participate in a script laboratory to develop their projects. There, Chinese and Australian production partners will help shape the potential films into works with strong international appeal.
Arclight Managing Director Gary Hamilton says, “Chinese studios have never been more willing to engage with the West both creatively and commercially, and Australia’s entertainment industry stands to reap huge gains, spearheading a new era of storytelling for global audiences.”
Arclight films aims to lead the way in furthering Australian/Chinese cooperation in the screen space, having just completed production on Kimble Rendell’s (Bait 3D) Guardians of the Tomb, starring Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Kelsey Grammer and Chinese popstar and actor Wu Chun. The Chinalight initiative will be overseen by creative executive Jenevieve Chang, author of the memoir The Good Girl of Chinatown, who notes, “For me, China is one of the most exciting places in the world right now. The rate of change there is as fast as its history is rich and varied. Engaging with the culture on a story level means connecting to an incredibly diverse palette of human experience, as well as investing in the next hot spot for screen stories.”
Deadline for submissions for round one of the program is Friday, September 1, 2017, with final decisions scheduled for mid-October 2017. For more information, shoot over to the official site.
