Overseas studios eye mainland market

Overseas companies including UK-based ITV Studios, Japan's NHK and Taiwan-based firms are scouting for business for their products at the International Film & TV Market exhibition, which opened in Shanghai yesterday. Besides traditional broadcasting, the overseas studios are also looking for cooperation in new media like Internet video streaming. "We have seen huge market potential on the Chinese mainland because we share the same language and cultural background," said Wang Weijiang, director of the Taiwan Visual and Audio Production Association. In all, 25 Taiwan companies attended in the exhibition, part of the ongoing Shanghai TV Festival. They held talks with mainland firms on possible cooperation. Dapili International Marketing is also close to signing a deal with the video website Qiyi.com Inc to broadcast Pili Po-te-hi, a hand-puppet theater popular in south China. "We have lots of fans on the Chinese mainland and it will be their festival to see Pili theaters online," said Jill Huang, vice president of Dapili. UK firm ITV is keen to distribute documentary films and TV series through both traditional broadcasting media and Internet streaming. ITV has licensed Chinese video websites including Youku Tudou to broadcast Hercult Poirot Collection, which is based on Agatha Christie's novels. NHK is also talking to CCTV, SMG and top online video websites about broadcasting documentary films in China. Most of their documentaries are wildlife series and Legends of the Deep that details creatures in the deep seas like giant squid and deep-sea sharks.