Asian Film Database

Tue Aug 2 12:16:51 EDT 2011

Stephen Cremin's outfit just launched a new Asian Film Database (http://www.filmbiz.asia/subscriptions). The database is rich, and multilingual. It has come a long way since the three ring binder version called the Asian Film Library Reference to Japanese Film. I met up with Stephen in Shanghai this summer and heard all about this. For the moment, the database is targeted at the industry and they haven't given much thought to the education market. But for producers, distributors and programmers, it should be an indispensable resource.

Markus

Chair, Department of Screen Arts and Cultures
Professor of Asian Cinema, Department of Asian Languages and Cultures
Professor, School of Art & Design
University of Michigan

Asian Film Database to launch

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By Staff Reporter

Thu, 28 July 2011, 20:05 PM (HKT)

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Industry News

Film Business Asia is now 18 months old and on Monday 1 August we will be launching ourAsian Film Database, which will provide you with a range of new reference tools. It will be available to paying subscribers; news and reviews will remain free for all readers.

The database tracks information on over 45,000 films, 80,000 people and 10,000 companies & organisations — and is growing all the time. It places particular emphasis on business information including sales rights, distribution history and festival participation.

As befits Film Business Asia's mission to reflect the dynamic Asian region, the database is uniquely multilingual, offering data in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai — as well as English. It has been under active development for eighteen years.

The database is an essential tool for anyone working in or with the Asian film industry as a producer, distributor, rights holder, festival programmer or investor.

For more information, contact Gurjeet Chima (gurjeet at filmbiz.asia<mailto:gurjeet at filmbiz.asia>; +852 3480 7568<tel:+852%203480%207568>).

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What is the Asian Film Database?
The database tracks information on over 45,000 films, 80,000 people and 10,000 companies & organisations working in the Asian film industry. And it is growing all the time. It places particular emphasis on business information including sales rights, distribution history and festival participation.

How much does the database cost?
It is specifically targeted at film industry executives. We charge US$480 for a one year subscription to organisations, which provides access for three co-workers. Individuals can also subscribe for US$240. We may introduce additional features for corporate subscribers, but for now both subscriptions are the same.

How can I sign up for a free trial?
We are not offering free trials at this time and have no plans to introduce them.

Will news and reviews still be free?
Yes, news and reviews continue to remain free, including access to our archive of 2000 news stories and film reviews published since our launch eighteen months ago. Subscribers will now be able to click on links in news and reviews for direct access into the database, but everything that has been free until now remains free.

How is this database different from IMDb?
While the IMDb is an excellent resource for European and American cinema, it has problematic coverage of Asian cinema. One of its main failings is that it keeps information only in the roman alphabets. We use original sources — Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean — to ensure greater accuracy.

How is it different from Cinando?
Cinando is also an excellent resource, and is particularly strong on films being sold at international sales markets, including Asian titles. However, because it only tracks films at major markets, it overlooks the majority of film production in Asia and is out-of-date for the majority of the year. We track all Asian films all year round.

What are the strengths of the database?
The database is strongest in its coverage of the Japanese, Korean cinema and Chinese film industries, including the cinemas of Hong Kong and Taiwan. We are increasing our focus on Southeast Asian, Indian and Australian cinema, but they are not as exhaustively covered as their northern neighbours.

Is this the only database that I will ever need?
No. Although the database has been in active development for 18 years, there are still many weaknesses and gaps in its coverage. We've decided to launch it now so that it can be developed in directions that most benefits our subscribers. We hope that it will become a tool to make your work in the film industry more productive.
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