Cannes 2013: Film Business Asia

http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/ablaze-launches-with-hot-chou-title

Ablaze launches with hot Chou title

By Patrick Frater and Stephen Cremin

Wed, 15 May 2013, 02:10 AM (HKT)

Sales News
New Taiwan sales company Ablaze Image is launching at the Cannes market with Jay CHOU 周杰倫’s second film as a director, romance kung-fu comedy musical The Rooftop 天台.

The new Taipei-based company, headed by June WU 吳蕙君 (pictured), has Asian rights to the highly-anticipated title including India and Australia but excluding China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Wu previously headed sales at Edko Films Ltd 安樂影片有限公司 and worked in distribution at both Media Asia Film Distribution (HK) Ltd 寰亞影視發行（香港）有限公司 in Hong Kong and Group Power Workshop Co Ltd 群體娛樂有限公司 in Taiwan.

In a statement, Wu says that the companies activities will span international sales and domestic distribution within Taiwan and that it is dedicated to bringing quality Chinese language films to a worldwide audiences.

Ablaze has strategic investment from LIU Wei-jan 劉蔚然’s Atom Cinema Co Ltd 原子映象有限公司 and LEE Lieh 李烈’s 1 Production Film 影一製作所股份有限公司 whose titles they will now represent.

Desmond YANG 楊鎧宇, former sales head at Atom, will remain with the company but will now handle film acquisitions. He takes the new position in June when Ablaze has become fully operational.

“We share the vision that it is the time for Taiwan to have a truly professional and independent sales company dedicated to the commercial success… of Chinese language films in the international marketplace,” said Lee, Liu and Wu.

In The Rooftop, popular musician Chou co-stars with Gary YANG 楊瑞代 and Alan KO 柯有倫. The film is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release simultaneously in Taiwan and China on 7 July.

Ablaze has also acquired Taiwan rights of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard title Bends 過界, by first time Hong Kong director Flora LAU 劉韻文.