China cinema closures; blockchain; HAF awards; global box office; Middle East festivals

Welcome to Streamlined, a weekly newsletter that will summarise and analyse events in the content industries outside of the Americas & Europe.

This second edition also focuses on China and Hong Kong, thanks to Covid outbreaks and as Filmart only wrapped yesterday, although there’s also a section on the Middle East. Streamlined will look further afield next week…

THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES…

1. CHINA CINEMA CLOSURES & WORSENING COVID OUTBREAK

Just as the US studios had finally managed to get a decent number of films dated in China, a series of Covid-19 outbreaks across the country have started shuttering cinemas again. Theatrical consultancy Artisan Gateway estimates that around 30% of China’s cinemas are currently closed nationwide, with the worst hit markets including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Jilin, Changchun and Hohhot.

The outbreaks have already impacted box office of Uncharted, which opened Monday (March 14) and as of Friday noon Beijing time had only grossed $6.4m (RMB40.6m), with Maoyan predic…