Mysterious company behind arthouse tender raises eyebrows among film buffs

Enthusiasts of independent films in Macau say they are unsure about the new Cinematheque Passion operator, as selected by the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s (IC) in a recent tender.
If there are no other hurdles, starting from September, the Cinematheque will be operated for the next three years by a company called Companhia de Produção de Entretenimento e Cultura, which literally translates as the Entertainment and Culture Production Company.
The company quoted the IC about 15 million patacas to operate the arthouse for three years when its predecessor, CUT Lda’s, asked for a 25 patacas million check for the same length of time.
Local film enthusiasts are questioning the appointment, as there is very little information about the winning company online. According to open sources, it has participated in two biddings, namely the tender for the souvenir shop at the Mandarin’s House and for filmmaking services for the Macao Government Tourism Office.
Normally, the tender opening entity does not need to disclose the details of the proposal that it receives from the bidder. It is also not normal practice to disclose the background of the bidder.
However, the lack of information about the company that was founded in 2010 has raised many questions in film enthusiast circles. The Cinematheque is known as the only independent cinema in Macau that screens both mainstream and alternative films. These include monochrome or re-mastered classics such as Ang Li’s 1994 masterwork “Eat Drink Man Woman,” as well as “The Farewell,” for which actress and rapper Awkwafina won the Golden Globe Best Actress Award.
Local cultural commentator, Pan Lei, reposted his previous interview with Chinese media outlet All About Macau, stressing that the cultural appeal of the Cinematheque is significant to Macau. The mini cinema, in his opinion, is part of the city’s cultural image as well. “It adds points to Macau,” he told the Chinese newspaper.
Local filmmaker Chan Ka Keung wrote to the same Chinese newspaper to commend the Cinematheque for providing “rich cultural activities” over the past three years. He made a long film called “Passing Rain,” which was screened at the Cinematheque in 2018. The film also made it to the International Film Festival and Awards – Macao.
In his article, Chan pointed out that he was not convinced that the IC’s price-oriented approach on art was beneficial. In this tender, the IC increased its weighing on the price factor by 5% to 40%.
Another individual who wrote to the newspaper thought that the winner must have submitted a spectacular proposal. The writer believed that the IC had not picked a proposal on the grounds of price alone.
The writer also said that the Cinematheque is “a cultural hub and a key [piece of] film infrastructure to foster communications, exchange and collaboration between filmmakers.”