Film rush for China's Single's Day season

BEIJING -- More than 11 new films are scheduled to hit Chinese cinemas from November 8 to 11 ahead of Single's Day, a holiday celebrated by many Chinese youth.

Half of these films are low budget romances, according to the screening schedule published at Mtime.com, a leading Chinese film portal.

Single's Day falls on November 11 because the date, when written as 11-11, resembles "bare sticks," a term Chinese often use to refer to single people.

Tang Le, marketing manager of Capital Cinema in Xidan, Beijing's busiest shopping area, confirmed that at least eight new films will be screened from November 8 to 11 at the cinema, with ten other films hitting theaters in the weeks before and after the holiday.

"We will specially promote three romance films because the theme fits the season and the stars are popular among young people," Tang told Xinhua.

Producers are trying to copy the success of the small budget romance "Love Is Not Blind," which debuted ahead of Single's Day in 2011. The movie took in box office earnings of 350 million yuan ($56 million), despite production costs of less than ten million yuan.

However, small production films will have powerful competitors this year.

"Thor: The Dark World," starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman and Tom Hiddleston, will hit theaters on November 8.

"The Thor sequel and 'Escape Plan' are expected to be the box office winners," Tang said.

"Escape Plan," starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, has been on screens since Monday.

The three romance films might rake in a total of 30 million yuan, Tang added.

In addition to the annual film rush, Single's Day is also likely to bring another shopping bonanza as many retailers, both online and in stores, are gearing up with promotions.

Last year, more than two billion yuan was spent in the first 70 minutes of the Single's Day sale at Taobao.com, China's largest online shopping platform.