HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – October 20, 2023 – The 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (“TIFF 2023”) will open on October 23. The organizers previously announced that Chinese director Gu Xiaogang won the “2023 Kurosawa Akira Prize” and Chinese director Gu Xiaogang won the “2023 Kurosawa Akira Prize”. actress Zhao Tao will be a jury member in the jury section of the international competition. Several Chinese films, including “Dwelling by the West Lake” (草木人間), “Snow Leopard” (雪豹), “A Long Shot” (老槍) and “Fly Me to the Moon” (但願人長久) have been released. published. were shortlisted, reflecting the significant presence of Chinese-language films and filmmakers at this year’s festival.
Alibaba Pictures Group Limited (“Alibaba Pictures” or the “Company”, HKEX: 1060), one of China’s leading Internet film and television companies under Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group, not only has strong capabilities production, but also excels in film promotion. . The Company has effectively supported the promotion of many Japanese films, achieving remarkable success in the Chinese film market.
In addition to the films in competition, the Chinese Cinema Week organized by TIFF 2023 has also aroused great anticipation among movie fans. It is worth noting that films such as “Lost in the Stars” (消失的她), “Chang An” (長安三萬里) and “One and Only” (熱烈) both generated significant box office revenue -office and a positive message. by word of mouth in China this year, with Alibaba Pictures involved in their production. The film “All Ears” (不虛此行), invested by Alibaba Pictures, was also selected in the World Focus section of TIFF 2023.
Japanese films have had a significant impact on the Chinese film market this year, with animated films such as “Suzume” (鈴芽之旅), “Slam Dunk” (男兒當入樽), “Castle in the Sky” » (天空之).城) and “Doraemon: Stand by Me 2” (哆啦A夢：伴我同行2), all surpassing 100 million RMB in box office revenue. Thanks to Road Pictures’ marketing campaign and the distribution capabilities of Alibaba Pictures and Road Pictures, “Suzume” broke the first-day box office record for animated films in China and ultimately grossed more than 800 million RMB in box office revenue, becoming the highest. highest-grossing romantic film of the year. It also surpassed the previous box office record for a Japanese film in China, held by Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name” (RMB 575 million).
Previously, Alibaba Pictures has participated in the marketing and promotion of many classic foreign films with various themes. As early as 2017, Alibaba Pictures strategically collaborated with Amblin Entertainment on “A Dog’s Purpose” (為了與你相遇), breaking the box office record for pet-themed films in the Chinese film market.
In 2019, the film “Green Book” (綠簿旅友) won three major awards at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Alibaba Pictures, as an investor in the film, became the world’s first Internet film and television company to produce an Academy Award for Best Picture.
As a co-producer of the film, Alibaba Pictures accurately predicted the market value of this film. After “Green Book” won the awards, Alibaba Pictures immediately introduced it to the Chinese market. The deep friendship between the film’s two main characters, transcending cultural differences, touched many Chinese audiences. Thanks to Alibaba Pictures’ marketing and distribution capabilities, “Green Book” has become a dark horse, grossing RMB 478 million at the box office in China and receiving a high rating of 8.9 on Douban.
The same year, “Capernaum” (星仔打官司), a Lebanese art film presented by China Film Group, received a tailor-made marketing strategy from Road Pictures to highlight emotional resonance. It targeted Chinese audiences’ interest in the theme of family of origin and relied on high-quality preview screenings to generate word of mouth. He also leveraged platforms like Douyin (TikTok) to generate buzz and discussion around the film.
By leveraging Alibaba Pictures’ domestic distribution capacity and measures such as strategic programming and precisely targeted screenings by Road Pictures and Alibaba Pictures, the campaign was successful in helping this niche film transcend audience boundaries. cinematographic. Although it was released around the same time as “Avengers: Endgame” (復仇者聯盟4), the film achieved impressive results with a box office of 376 million RMB and a high rating of 9.1 on Douban.
Not only does Alibaba Pictures excel at promoting new films, but they have also reintroduced a growing number of classic foreign films to the big screen.
In 2019, the Italian classic film “The Legend of 1900” (聲光伴我飛), jointly marketed and promoted by Hishow Entertainment and Alibaba Pictures, was re-released in China and achieved a box office of RMB 143 million. The restored 4K high definition version also received positive reviews from fans. In 2021, Star Alliance Movies and Alibaba Pictures collaborated to bring the film “Love Letter” back to Chinese audiences after 22 years of absence on screen. They chose to release it on May 20 (Valentine’s Day in China), satisfying the public’s demand for romantic films and ultimately grossing over RMB 65 million at the box office.
For the classic and niche Japanese film “Departures” (禮儀師之奏鳴曲), Alibaba Pictures planned a series of short video marketing campaigns, including interviews with funeral professionals, sharing stories with audiences after the projection and “interaction of heavenly messages” via platforms such as Douyin, popular with young audiences, to convey the film’s social issues and humanistic sentiments.
Thanks to an innovative marketing perspective, the film “Departures” achieved remarkable success on Douyin, garnering over 1.2 billion views, receiving over 26 million official likes, and surpassing industry expectations with a box-office total office of more than 60 million RMB.
In the field of international documentary film promotion, Alibaba Pictures has taken a different approach by targeting the documentary film vertical audience.
For the extreme sports documentary “Free Solo” (赤手登峰), Alibaba Pictures leveraged the strong promotion capabilities of Taopiaopiao and Beacon, which further strengthened the influence of KOLs in the climbing field and attracted members of over 200 climbing gyms to watch. the film in theaters. Thanks to positive feedback and public appreciation during the first screenings, the film piqued the curiosity of passers-by and eventually reached a box office attendance of more than a million viewers.
Relying on precise targeting of the target audience, Alibaba Pictures emphasizes the real importance of the protagonists’ perseverance and positivity in promoting the film. This approach resulted in strong word of mouth, allowing the film to become the second highest-grossing documentary in 2019 with a box office of RMB 36.4 million.
Compared to previous marketing strategies for foreign films, Alibaba Pictures does not rely solely on Hollywood blockbusters and instead emphasizes high-quality films featuring relatable characters and compelling stories . By introducing various genres and themes, the content available in Chinese cinemas is enriched and meets the varied preferences of audiences.
In traditional promotion practices, imported non-Hollywood films often struggle to achieve commercial success due to low awareness and niche themes. Through digital promotion products offered by Taopiaopiao and Beacon, Alibaba Pictures identifies precise marketing strategies for various films, allowing quality content to reach a wider audience and achieve both box office success and a positive reception.
This illustrates the positive changes Alibaba Pictures seeks to bring to the industry by equipping the film industry with “new infrastructure” like Internet promotion and constantly exploring innovative avenues for film promotion. It is clear that a growing number of international film and television companies are eager to engage in in-depth collaboration with Alibaba Pictures. In terms of increasing box office revenue and influence in the Chinese film market, Alibaba Pictures has become an important and influential force that deserves attention and cannot be neglected.
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