10,000 screens and counting
Contemporary thriller The Whistleblower is the biggest Australian-Chinese official co-production ever shot in Australia. Distributed by Roadshow, the feature film will open on a small number of Australian screens later this year, in areas catering to the Chinese diaspora market, but at the same time will be released on 10,000 plus screens across China.
The film’s producer, Greg Basser, first started looking at China in 2007, when there was approximately 3,000 screens and an annual box office of around $500 million. The market has seen exponential growth in the past years, soaring to 53,000 screens and an annual box office of $8.6 billion.
In his current role as CEO of Gentle Giant Media Group, Greg now oversees the production of Hollywood films and China-Australia co-productions which promote film and television production in Australia.
Gentle Giant partners with major studios and independent producers, matching projects with creative and technical talent in Australia and co-producing both film and TV. Leveraging its extensive networks and contacts across Hollywood, Australia and China, Gentle Giant also acts as a financial mediator for creative visionaries and specifically seeks out projects best suited for production in Australia, in addition to managing co-production and co-financing funds to produce films for global audiences.
Prior to founding Gentle Giant, Greg worked with the Village Roadshow Group for 33 years during which time he co-founded Village Roadshow Entertainment Group and Village Roadshow Pictures. His producing credits include Cold War 2, Passengers and Concussion.
At SCREEN FOREVER Greg will discuss his strategies for working in China and share insights into how to negotiate the challenges and untapped potential of this market.
