Canadian films rise with Phoenix

---

---

Ancillary News

Canadian films and documentaries will have increased access to the Chinese market place following a deal between the National Film Board of Canada and China's Phoenix New Media (aka ifeng).

Under the agreement Phoenix has the exclusive right to air and redistribute NFB's current content library of over 130 documentaries and animated films which will be updated regularly over the next three years. The company will create a dedicated NFB Zone on its website and make available the entire portfolio for both on-demand viewing and downloading.

"NFB [is] arguably the most reputable video content powerhouse in Canada. By offering Chinese audiences a dedicated channel to watch and interact with the best Canadian films, we will not only enhance NFB's exposure and brand awareness amongst ifeng's over 220 million monthly users, but we will also enrich ifeng's video content library with differentiated and thought-provoking content," said Phoenix' s CEO Liu Shuang in a statement.

A publicly-owned producer and distributor, the NFB creates interactive works, social-issue documentaries, auteur animation and alternative dramas with a Canadian perspective. It is developing interactive productions, and pioneering new directions in stereoscopic 3D film and community-based media.

Phoenix, which grew out of Hong Kong's Phoenix TV, was launched on the New York Stock Exchange in May last year and like many Chinese companies that floated in the US has seen its shares sink as sentiment towards Chinese companies turned negative. The ADRs were largely unchanged on the news at $4.23 each, compared with the $11 listing price.

---