China's gross box office reaches 1.5 bn yuan

Mumbai, Nov 7 (UNI) China's mainland gross box office reached 1.5 bn yuan ( 180 million dollars) in 2004, while the number of films screened rose by 50 per cent to 212.

State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has predicted that gross box office of China's mainland film indusry will exceed 2 billion yuan ( 24 million dollars) this year.

It is first time in China's filmmaking history that the top 10 domestic films have outperformed the blockbusters imported from abroad. Two of these films, big budgeted comedies 'Kung Fu Hustle' and 'A World Without Thieves' outperformed foreign imports with takings of more than 100 million yuan (12 million dollars) each.

As an acknowledgment to China's celebration of its 100 years of filmmaking, the ongoing 6th Asian Film Festival here in Mumbai has a section dedicated to the Chinese films named 'Focus on China' where eight films will be screened namely, 'For there to be Love', 'Love story By Tea', 'Cellphone', 'Gimme Kudos', 'Farewell to Death' and 'The Silent Holy Stones' are few of them.

UNI