Long queues at cinemas buying hot tickets for blockbusters will become rare as Beijing residents will be able to order film tickets via cell phone networks in a month.

 

Film ticket circulation service on cell phone, also dubbed the "Green channel of film tickets ordering," is aiming at lowering the cost of ticket circulation and easing the ticket distribution pressure on such popular film-watching days as summer and winter vacations or Valentine's Day.

 

"People log onto the net through cell phones, then choose cinema seats, watch trailers, browse information for new films and read cinema introductions," said Guan Zheng, the publicity chief of Xingmei Digital Media Company Ltd., the service provider.

"Film fans can enjoy various preferential prices if they order tickets via cell phones," Guan said.

 

Meanwhile, the cell phone ticket circulation platform provides subscribers general mobile phone services like jokes, videos, Flashes, phone ring downloads and games.

 

The service is about to be put into trial at the Beijing-based Xingmei International Cinema for a month before being putting into use at other cinema chains both in and outside Beijing, as the service is going to be improved through gradual expansion, said Guan.

 

China's rejuvenated film industry has seen more and more zealous moviegoers. Up to the end of 2005, China has had more than 3,000 specialized cinemas, among which there are 1,243 modern cinemas with 2,668 silver screens and 36 cinema chains.

 

Currently, many people buy film tickets on the Internet or by phoning the cinema's ticket office or simply queuing at the cinema gate, methods which, however, fail to quench ticket thirst on popular days like May Day holiday, National Day holiday or Valentine's Day. The inefficient ticket circulation system contributes the most to the failure.

 

Experts say the introduction of the cell phone ticket ordering service creates a more convenient ticket-buying channel, especially during movie-going rush hour.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 18, 2006)