Fox film links up with local distributor

By Jiang Jingjing (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-11-14 10:08

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment yesterday signed an agreement with China's largest video distributor, Zoke Culture Group, making the firm the sole partner in China to distribute the studio's movie releases and titles from its catalogue library.

With a plan to shorten release windows to beat copycats, Fox will begin releasing its first wave of DVD and VCD titles this month. The launch will be led by Garfield 2, Ice Age 2 and X-Men 3.

These products will be available to consumers nationwide through Zoke's distribution network, which has access to over 20,000 retail points in major cities across China.

"We are expecting to bring 100 catalogue titles to China in the coming year," said Mike Dunn, president of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Worldwide. "In the near future, we will aim to introduce as many as possible under the direction of the Chinese Ministry of Culture."

Dunn said China is an important part of Fox's future business despite rampant piracy in movies and music. "Our goal is to preserve the integrity of our movies, while offering China's mass consumers with first-rate packaged entertainment that is authentic, affordable and quickly accessible," Dunn said at the signing ceremony in Beijing.

He noted that Zoke's entrepreneurial spirit and distribution capability make it a perfect partner for Fox as it solidifies its presence in the emerging market. Founded in 1998, Zoke is a home entertainment distributor with 700 employees and over 100 distribution channels allocated in 23 cities across China.
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