Abstract

In the past two decades, China has emerged as a major global power both politically and economically. Accordingly, there has been growing interest from the rest of the world in understanding China’s technical, economic, social, and cultural development. Chinese film, as a great artistic and cultural medium, plays an important role in meeting this need for intercultural understanding. The success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has raised the international status of Chinese-language films and sparked a new demand for Chinese martial arts films in the U.S. market. China’s entry into the World Trade Organization also triggered Chinese filmmakers’ enthusiasm in going abroad. Due to the different distribution systems and cultural traditions, it is still a big challenge for Chinese filmmakers to fully develop their overseas market potential and reap profits from the world of Hollywood. How can the U.S. market for Chinese films be developed effectively, at the same time achieving intercultural goals? This capstone paper attempts to answer this question by examining the U.S. market reality for Chinese films and analyzing the various distribution challenges and opportunities that Chinese film distributors are facing. Based on my research and practicum experience with China Century Entertainment, Inc., a prime Chinese film distributor in America dedicated to the introduction of the best of Chinese films of the past half-century to a broader audience in the U.S., I identify some of the best practices, and then conclude with four marketing strategies recommendations. As a summary of my learning from intercultural management courses at SIT and off-campus practicum training, this paper is also written in hopes of providing some useful information and references to those Chinese film studios and producers who plan to expand their U.S. film market.

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