Golden Village Eyes Greater Output

SINGAPORE -- Film distributor Golden Village expects to show 15-20% more titles this year than in 2005, according to Kenneth Tan, managing director of Golden Village's two companies in Singapore: Golden Village Multiplex and Golden Village Pictures.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday to announce Golden Village's partnership with Andy Lau's Focus Films to distribute Focus First Cuts titles in Singapore, Tan said he would like "at least half of the increase to be made up of Asian films."

Golden Village distributed about 300 films in 2005.

Tan described the Focus First Cuts distribution agreement as part of a "major commitment to new Asian movie directors." He also said the Focus First Cuts initiative was one of the most significant initiatives in Asian cinema today.

The six pictures by upcoming Asian directors will be released theatrically in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia from March through July.

The first film, Taiwanese director Robin Lee's "The Shoe Fairy, opens March 16 in Singapore."

The titles also will be aired across the region on News Corp.'s Star Chinese Movies Network.

Tan said Golden Village would "almost certainly" distribute the second Focus First Cuts series, Focus: First Cuts Volume 2, which is scheduled to kick off in October this year. (HR 11/29/05)

Golden Village has a 45% share of Singapore's boxoffice and currently has 58 screens in Singapore across eight cinema complexes. This will increase to 73 toward the end of the year with the opening of the new VivoCity HarbourFront multiplex.

Golden Village expects the VivoCity flagship multiples to do upward of a million ticket sales a year, Tan said, adding that he is committed to increasing Golden Village's boxoffice share in Singapore to 50% by October 2007.

"Everyone's films will benefit from the increased audience base," he said. "Films that did not receive much attention in the past will have a place to be seen."