Celestial Completes Deals for Shaw Brothers Films

HONG KONG, August 13: Celestial
Pictures has signed agreements with BCI, Media Blasters and Well Go USA for a
total of 45 martial arts titles from the Shaw Brothers film library for release
on home video across the U.S. and Canada.

The deal includes titles
such as The 14 Amazons, Heroes
Two and Two Champions of
Shaolin. BCI is an independent
entertainment distributor and publisher in DVD and audio, while Media Blasters
is a home-video distributor for anime and live-action Asian films. Well Go is
an international home video label that specializes in the acquisition and
distribution of entertainment programs in the video market.

Celestial’s Shaw Brothers
titles consist of 760 films produced from the 1950s to the 1990s. Since 2003,
Celestial Pictures has re-released these movies after restoring and
re-mastering them. The films are distributed into cinemas, home video,
television and new-media markets worldwide.

Terry Mak, the executive
VP of distribution and TV networks for Celestial Pictures, said: “The alliance
with these innovative partners will strengthen Celestial’s retail distribution
network in North America. Currently we have 80 global strategic alliances in
place, and we aim to reach new viewers around the world by aggressively
expanding this formidable distribution network.”

—By Jackie Stewart