International
China’s Tianjin city is creating $1.27 bn film & media hub
MUMBAI: China-based Harvest Seven Stars Entertainment has tied up with the government of Tianjin city to build Chinawood, a $1.27 billion film and media hub that will be spread across a land admeasuring 8.6 million square feet.
The base is aimed at US and other foreign productions and will provide a hub for co-productions that are exempt from Chinese import quotas. Some 35 per cent of the investment is earmarked for film financing,said the group in a statement.
Among Chinawood‘s functions will be a co-production film financing platform, a co-production service centre with post facilities, a facility for 3D conversion and a distribution and marketing center.
Off late, Seven Stars Entertainment has been busy building a rapport with Hollywood having linked up with Jake Eberts and Justin Lin on projects already this year and launched $800 million private equityfund Harvest Seven Stars Media Fund in February.
Seven Stars Entertainment‘s Bruno Wu said, “It is crucial, as well as inevitable, that we offer the products and services to facilitate substantial cooperation between the two territories. This project is asignificant step towards closing that gap by providing expertise and facilities in all areas of financing, legal, co-production, distribution, marketing, sales and infrastructure.”
Tianjin is a coastal city that takes around 30 minutes from Beijing by high-speed train. It has been growing in recent years by aggressively attracting high-tech industries to set up there.
International
Council of Europe to unveil new TV and streaming co-production convention
Series Mania Forum to host landmark signing to boost global TV collaboration
LILLE: The small screen is getting a big policy push. At this year’s Series Mania Forum in Lille, Alain Berset will take centre stage to chair the opening ceremony for a new international convention aimed at reshaping how television and streaming series are co-produced across borders.
Set for March 26 at the Théâtre Marie Curie in Lille Grand Palais, the signing marks the debut of the first legal framework dedicated specifically to the independent co-production of series. In an industry where stories travel faster than ever, the move aims to make collaboration smoother, fairer and more transparent.
Backed by the Council of Europe, the convention is designed to strengthen cultural ties, give independent producers a firmer footing, and bring greater clarity to deals in a rapidly evolving content landscape. With streaming platforms fuelling a surge in global storytelling, the timing feels deliberate.
Council of Europe secretary general Alain Berset, underscored the cultural heft of series today, noting how they carry voices and viewpoints across borders. He called on member states and countries beyond Europe to sign on, framing the initiative as a way to turn culture into a tool for cooperation and democratic exchange.
For Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, hosting the signing is both symbolic and strategic. She described the convention as a step that could widen the range of stories reaching audiences, staying true to the forum’s long-standing mission of championing diverse storytelling.
The ceremony will unfold alongside the Lille Dialogues, a high-level summit that gathers policymakers and industry leaders to debate the future of Europe’s audiovisual sector. Berset is also set to deliver the opening address there, adding political weight to a week already rich in creative ambition.
In short, as screens multiply and borders blur, Europe is putting a framework in place to ensure that storytelling keeps pace, collaboratively and coherently.
