Salon Films creates Asian coalition

Partners include Hengdian, Access Asia

By CLIFFORD COONAN

Salon Films, one of the longest-established names in the Hong Kong biz, is collaborating with international partners to help grease the wheels for investment in Asian movies.

Partners in the deal are Hengdian World Studios in China, Access Asia (Cayman), Yoshimoto Kogyo in Japan and Mediacorp Raintree in Singapore.

"For Asia, you need all of Asia," said Salon's chairman, Fred Wang. "We need to go back to fundamentals, not always focusing on box office but how to get a good message to people. We got together to ease all issues. Working policies are changing; the best way is to have a group effort."

Wang said the partners intend to provide a full-service package for foreign investors, from film financing to location management, and from the conceptual stage to production and post.

"I see in the future the industry getting more organized and more smooth and cost effective. In the old days, you cooked your own rice; these days, it's more industrialized. Compared to other industries, the film industry is still in the Stone Age. The industry needs a big change, and the film studios are just waking up now," he said.

A key aspect of the deal is securing a way into China, which is a potentially spectacular market but whose regulatory environment can make it a difficult region to access.

Hengdian World Studios is a giant production facility that boasts 13 movie lots spread over a large amount of land and includes a life-size model of the Forbidden City in eastern China's Zhejiang province.

Salon already has completed a co-production with Raintree Pictures, ("Painted Skin") and plans to deliver at least five features over the next three years.

The partnership with Yoshimoto Kogyo means Salon will represent the Japanese firm in co-investment and co-production arrangements in Asia.

"This shows the future of Asian co-production. Asia has increasing economic influence, and to a certain extend culture follows the money. We want to find content that we think will work," said producer and animation specialist Christopher Brough.

Access Asia will provide financing initiatives targeting Asian content for new film ventures. The company is developing a film fund to leverage Salon Films for production arrangements.

Brough declined to disclose details about titles in the works, but he said he expected the first announcements to come within the next 60 days.

"We're looking for titles that will resonate. Big Hollywood-approach movies," Brough said.