33 Postcards reaches 8000 Chinese screens
The Australian-Chinese co-production, 33 Postcards, “will be released in every cinema in China,” Minister for the Arts, George Souris has announced.
At approximately 8000 screens, it’s a massive audience for the film, with China one of the largest cinema markets in the world. The film will be released in a Mandarin version on Friday 2 September.
“33 Postcards is only one of a handful of Australian films ever to break into the Chinese cinema circuit as only a small number of foreign films are released there each year,” said Minister Souris.
Shot both in NSW and Hengdian World Studios in China, it was produced by Portal Pictures and Zhejiang Hengdian Film Productions, in association with IFS Capital Limited and Screen NSW who invested $200,000 in the film.
The film had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival and awarded the CRC Award, and had its international premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival where lead actress Zhu Lin received the Asian New Talent Award for her debut performance.
The film is about Chinese orphan Mei Mei (Zhu Lin) who for ten years dreams of meeting her Australian sponsor – Dean Randall (Guy Pearce). At 16, when her orphanage travels to Australia to attend a Choir Festival, Mei Mei takes the opportunity to find him but what she finds is far from the idyllic life he depicted in his postcards. Mei Mei however is determined to make a connection with Dean.
“Film co-productions between NSW and China offer tremendous opportunities to strengthen ties between our communities, both culturally and economically,” said Minister Souris.
Other Australian-Chinese coproductions include The Dragon Pearl (dir: Mario Andreacchio) and the recently announced seven film Chief Inspector Chen series, to be adapted from the book series.
Moves toward closer ties between both country’s film industries were prompted with the development of the Australia China Screen Alliance.
The film will be released in Australia through Titan View later this year.
