Chinese Online Movies Repackaged as PopC Linear Channel

FROM ON DEMAND TO LINEAR

Asian TV channels operator Celestial Tiger Entertainment and myTV SUPER, the OTT platform of Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) are to launch PopC, a movie channel dedicated to Chinese online films, with content supplied by mainland China streamer iQiyi. It launches in Hong Kong from May 1.

“The idea of PopC first came about when we saw the amount of great, high quality movies that were being produced for the online space in China. The domestic reception and online hit rates for these movies are just phenomenal, and we want to bring them to an international audience outside of China by curating them all in one great channel.” said Ofanny Choi, CEO of CTE.

Its lineup will take on revolving themes on a daily basis, from fantasy-adventure, to Chinese heroes, suspense, action and comedy.

TAIPEI-BUDAPEST

The Taipei Film Festival has reinstated its “City in Focus” category and will honor Hungary’s Budapest. It will play a selection of 20 related films that resembles a condensed history of Budapest cinema. The legendary Hungarian director Bela Tarr is also named as this year’s Filmmaker in Focus.

The timing coincides with the digital restoration of his first feature “Family Nest,” and second feature, “The Outsider.” Tarr’s last feature, “The Turin Horse,” which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at Berlinale, is also selected for this year’s program. The 20th edition of the festival will run June 21-July 6.

NIPPON CONNECTION

The annual Nippon Connection film festival in Germany’s Frankfurt-am-Main has unveiled a corner of its 2024 programming. Among the highlights are the German premiere of “Kubi” (aka “Neck”) in which Kitano Takeshi unconventionally focuses on queer aspects of Samurai culture. In “Kyrie” by Iwai Shunji, an orphaned girl struggles as a singer in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster. The will also be space for emerging directors such as Ushimaru Ryo, who in “Qualia” takes aim at traditional family images. The newcomer actress Furukawa Kotone will be awarded the Nippon Rising Star Award on-site this year. The festival runs May 28 to June 2.

PORTUGAL NABS ‘FREEZE’

Portuguese broadcaster TVI has acquired the comedic game show format “Freeze” from Fremantle. TVI will adapt it for the local market with actor Pedro Teixeira as host. The show is set to air from the beginning of June. “Freeze” was created in Japan by FANY Studio and Yoshimoto Kogyo for Amazon Prime Video.

In the show, contestants enter a room and must “freeze” until the presenter releases them. With traps and tricks along the way that provoke reaction from the players, such as flying mannequins and giant popping balloons, only those who remain still will survive to battle it out for a place in the grand finale.