In what can only be described as an ingenious partnership, HBO and Hong Kong’s Mei-Ah entertainment have announced their plans to launch a channel dedicated solely to Asian movies.  It would be the first movie channel of its kind, combining HBO’s international clout with Mei-Ah’s Entertainment’s specialized Asian content.

Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia, had this to say about the melding of the two companies:

“The new channel will have a unique Asian feel, marrying HBO Asia’s renowned on-air presentation and extensive footprint in the region with exclusive access to Mei Ah’s rich library of Asian language movies and acquisition expertise.”

While HBO does have a presence in Asia, the channels  focus  more on making their original content and various US released movies available. Appropriately named HBO Asia, it is made up of seven networks and is available in 22 countries.

Mei-Ah Entertainment is also richly entrenched in relevance. With a library of 600 titles (including John Woo’s Red Cliff),  the production company is the leading distributor of Chinese programs and currently operates 3 movie channels. The company has been distributing films since 1977 and their most recent release was the successful film Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji.  As of now, their movie channels are available in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. With this joint venture with HBO, Mei-Ah entertainment will be able to reach a wider audience.

“The announcement is a milestone for Mei Ah Entertainment’s TV business because with access to HBO’s extensive network in Asia, we will be able to take our TV business across the Asia Pacific region.” says Li Kuo Hsing, Mei Ah’s founder and chairman.

While it seems that the channel will only be available to those in Asia, it’s a step in the right direction as far as exposure goes. After all, the more a film is recognized by its own country, the greater the chances of an international theater premiere  or DVD release.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter International