NEW YORK, NY– Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International will receive the Distributor of the Year Award at the CineAsia Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 8 December at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. The award will be accepted by David Kornblum, VP International Sales & Marketing APAC/Russia and International Film Acquisitions, The Walt Disney Company Asia.
“2016 was a great year for box office in the Asia-Pacific region, with WDSMPI leading the way,” said Andrew Sunshine, Vice President of The Film Group. “The Disney team achieved extraordinary results with a powerful collection of films making it fitting that they receive this year’s CineAsia Distributor of the Year award.”
The top three international and top four global titles of the year thus far have been released by Disney, including the billion-dollar hits Captain America: Civil War, Zootopia, and Finding Dory as well as The Jungle Book, which has grossed over $966 million globally. Notably, the release of Zootopia became the highest grossing ever animated film in China and the second biggest release of all time in Russia, while The Jungle Book was the biggest Western release of all time in India.
Driven by these four films along with the record-setting release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in late 2015, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International has already surpassed $3.5 billion in international box-office with two months still remaining in the calendar year 2016 release frame. The studio will round out its 2016 offerings with three more major releases: Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana, and Lucasfilm’s Rogue One.
The APAC-Russia region is the fastest growing region in the world and historically accounts for almost 50% of the annual international box-office revenues. Accepting the award on behalf of WDSMPI, David Kornblum oversees the international theatrical distribution of all Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm titles in 15 APAC-Russia markets including Japan, Australia, South Korea, China and Russia. In addition, Kornblum oversees all international acquisitions for the division and has been responsible for distributing them throughout the international marketplace. He’s a 27-year Disney veteran.
About CineAsia
CineAsia will take place from 6-8 December 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong. The CineAsia trade show is where cinema exhibition and distribution professional come to do business and network. The convention will also feature product presentations and screenings of major upcoming films, exclusive sponsored events, and seminars relating to current and future trends happening across the industry.
About Film Expo Group
The Film Expo Group is the premier organizer of events in the motion picture industry. The Film Expo Group produces CineAsia, held in Hong Kong; CineEurope, held in Barcelona; and ShowEast, held in Miami. Additionally, the group publishes, Film Journal International, a trade magazine and website covering the motion picture industry with a special emphasis on theatrical exhibition.
Additional information on CineAsia can be found at www.cineasia.com.
About GDC Technology Limited
GDC Technology Limited (‘GDC’) is a leading digital cinema solutions provider. GDC develops, manufactures and sells media servers, content storage systems, theatre management systems and network operations center software for the global cinema industry. GDC is a licensee of the DTS:X object-based immersive sound technology from DTS, Inc. for the development of its media servers. In addition, GDC also provides a suite of digital cinema products and services, including integrated projection systems, 3D products, projector lamps and silver screens. GDC Digital Cinema Network Limited, a GDC subsidiary, manages VPF for over 6,300 theatre screens and with more than 650 studios or motion picture distributors worldwide. For more information, please visit www.gdc-tech.com.
About Hong Kong Tourism Board
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is the supporting organization of CineAsia. The Hong Kong Tourism Board is a government-subvented body tasked with marketing and promoting Hong Kong as a travel destination and enhancing visitors’ experience once they have arrived. In fulfilling its objectives, the HKTB organizes comprehensive campaigns and a year-round programme of events, which also serve to provide a business platform for travel-related sectors. The HKTB also established Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong (MEHK) to strengthen the city’s position as the prime destination for meetings, incentive trips, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) in Asia. MEHK offers extensive support services that make MICE events simple to setup and smooth to execute.
Media Contact:
Dana Moutis
dana.moutis@filmexpos.com
212.493.4424
@CineAsiaHK | #CineAsia
