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HOYTS Partners with New Distributor Pacific Lantern for First Australian Premiere

Soda Communications

Key Facts:

• HOYTS Cinemas has partnered with newly established film distributor Pacific Lantern to bring a wider range of Chinese-language cinema to audiences across Australia and New Zealand.
• The partnership will support the distribution and exhibition of Chinese-language films across the HOYTS circuit, combining artistic excellence, commercial appeal, and cultural resonance.
• The collaboration will launch with the Australian premiere of *Once Upon a Time in the Middle East*, hosted at HOYTS Melbourne Central in partnership with the Victorian Chinese Community Association.
• Pacific Lantern is an extension of Ruyi Film, combining the company's content pipeline with HOYTS' established cinema network to bridge Chinese cinema and international audiences.
• The premiere event will include media interviews, official speeches, and a special screening in HOYTS APEX, bringing together industry representatives, community leaders, and local audiences.

HOYTS Cinemas has partnered with newly established film distributor Pacific Lantern to bring a broader range of Chinese-language cinema to audiences across Australia and New Zealand, beginning with the Australian premiere of Once Upon a Time in the Middle East.

 

The partnership will support the distribution and exhibition of Chinese-language films across the HOYTS circuit, providing audiences with greater access to stories that combine artistic excellence, commercial appeal and cultural resonance.

 

The Australian premiere of Once Upon a Timer in the Middle East will be hosted at HOYTS Melbourne Central in partnership with the Victorian Chinese Community Association, supporting greater connection between Chinese-language cinema and local communities.

 

HOYTS Group CEO and President Damian Keogh said the partnership reflects HOYTS’ commitment to providing audiences with a diverse range of stories and cinematic experiences.

 

“We are proud to support Pacific Lantern and create opportunities for Chinese-language stories to reach a broader audience across Australia and New Zealand,” Damian said.

 

“Cinema has an important role to play bringing communities together and introducing audiences to new perspectives. Partnerships like this allow us to strengthen cultural connections while giving more people the opportunity to experience great films on the big screen.”

 

Pacific Lantern is an extension of Ruyi Film, marking a new chapter for the company as it expands beyond China’s national film production and exhibition landscape. Combining Ruyi Film’s strong content pipeline and HOYTS’ established cinema network and local market expertise, Pacific Lantern will serve as a bridge between Chinese cinema and international audiences, bringing diverse Chinese stories to a broader global stage.

 

The premiere event will feature media interviews, photo opportunities, official speeches, and a special screening of Once Upon a Time in the Middle East in HOYTS APEX. The night will bring together industry representatives, community leaders and local audiences to celebrate the growing presence of Chinese-language cinema in Australia.

 

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About us:

About HOYTS

Since opening the doors of its first cinema in 1909, HOYTS has gone on to become one of the world’s leading entertainment companies, with more than 500 screens and over 59,000 seats across the network. Today, HOYTS is the largest single-brand movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand.

 

About Pacific Lantern

The company’s establishment marks Ruyi Film’s expansion beyond overseas exhibition into international distribution, creating an integrated pathway from production and distribution to theatrical exhibition. Looking ahead, Pacific Lantern will leverage Ruyi Film’s industry resources together with HOYTS’ local market expertise to deepen partnerships with cinemas, community organisations, media outlets, and cultural institutions throughout Australia and New Zealand, bringing more high-quality Chinese films to audiences across the region and supporting the global reach of Chinese storytelling.

Contact details:

Emily Stojcevski                               

Soda Communications                 

E: [email protected] 

T: 0409 552 913

Karen Black                                      

Soda Communications                 

E: [email protected] 

T: 0406 383 186