Chinese Distributor Hishow Adds ‘Josephine’, ‘Ah Girl’ & ‘Rec’ Franchise To We Love Cinema Release Slate
Beijing-based producer-distributor Hishow Entertainment is expanding its "We Love Cinema" brand, adding several new titles to its release slate as it seeks to broaden its appeal beyond arthouse audiences in China. The new acquisitions include Sundance winner Josephine, starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, and Singaporean drama Ah Girl, alongside the Spanish Rec zombie horror franchise, marking Hishow's first push into more commercial genre fare.
Josephine, directed by Beth de Araújo, won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in Sundance's US Dramatic Competition, while Ah Girl took the Youth Jury Award at Rotterdam and has become one of the top three highest-rated Chinese-language films on Douban this year following a strong reception at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Hishow is also acquiring all four instalments of the Rec franchise (2007-2014) and re-releasing Ron Howard's 2013 film Rush, while continuing its curated events strategy, including a French Film Festival held in Beijing and Shanghai this summer, and plans to build online fan communities and offline entertainment spaces under the We Love Cinema banner it launched last year.
- Hishow adds Sundance winner Josephine and drama Ah Girl to its slate
- Company acquires Spanish Rec horror franchise, entering commercial genre films
- Re-releasing Rush and expanding We Love Cinema fan community initiatives
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Hishow Entertainment is a Beijing-based film producer and distributor that runs a brand called We Love Cinema, launched last year to bring a wider range of foreign and independent films to Chinese cinemas. Until now the brand has leaned towards arthouse titles, so this expansion into more commercial genre films marks a shift in strategy as it looks to attract a broader audience.
The new titles include Josephine, an American drama starring Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan that won two major prizes at the Sundance Film Festival, and Ah Girl, a Singaporean drama that has been well received at festivals and among Chinese audiences online. Hishow is also bringing in the Spanish Rec horror franchise, a well-known series of zombie films, and re-releasing Ron Howard's 2013 racing drama Rush.
Beyond distributing films, We Love Cinema also organises cultural events, such as a French Film Festival held in Beijing and Shanghai, and has plans to build fan communities and entertainment spaces. The story matters because it reflects how a Chinese distributor is trying to balance prestige, festival-recognised cinema with more mainstream, crowd-pleasing content in a competitive market.