COLUMBIA TRISTAR ENTERS LOCAL FILM DISTRIBUTION TO CASH IN ON GROWTH

       Film distributor Columbia Tristar Buena Vista Films (Thailand) will distribute local films for the first time, due to the growth of the Thai-movie market.
       Managing director Rachot Dhiraputra yesterday said that as the distributor for Thai studios, the company would devise a marketing strategy, provide consulting services, coordinate with cinema-owners to share revenue and audit box-office revenue for studios.
       It now distributes international films for Sony Pictures Releasing International and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and audits box-office revenue for international and small local studios.
       Rachot said distribution of Thai films would boost annual revenue 5 per cent starting next year, when it will handle two movies for local studio Oriental |Eyes.
       Oriental Eyes managing director Watcharin Suthiprapa said the company had spent a combined Bt200 million to produce the two movies, one of them starring Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya.
       Oriental plans to produce three movies a year.
       Rachot said the company had targeted revenue growth of 20 per cent this year, to Bt600 million, from distributing international films, including several blockbusters from Sony Pictures and Walt Disney.
       He said both local and international studios faced problems stemming from piracy and economic and political instability but that movie-goers still preferred spending money on movies, because they offered good value for money.
       Rachot said even though the 40 Thai titles screened here each year were |fewer than the 140-150 international titles, Thai films contributed higher revenue than international movies on average.
       "The present trend in Thai films is interesting. Several production houses have enhanced their content and improved their production techniques in an attempt to attract audiences and revenue. We've seen this from an increase in our market share," he said.
       Rachot said the market share of Thai films had already increased to 45 per cent this year after holding steady at 20 per cent over the past six years, a phenomenon he said bode well for local distributors. And he believes the market share could surpass 45 per cent once the new "Ong-bak" and "Legend of Naresuan" films open.
       Columbia expects this year's local box-office gross to be Bt3.4 billion, up 5 per cent from last year, thanks to the high quality of recent Thai films.
       "This is the first time in several years we've seen growth in the Thai box office. It's been flat for so long," Rachot said.
       Columbia will release 30 international titles into the Thai market next year, up from 24 titles this year. Still, the company predicts flat revenue growth next year.
       Revenue growth is expected in 2011, due to the release of several blockbusters scheduled for that year, including "Spider-Man 4" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides".