In the name of "asia": Practices and consequences of recent international film co-productions in East Asia

International film co-productions among East Asian countries have significantly increased since the beginning of the twenty-first century. From 2005 onwards, several blockbuster films collaboratively produced by film companies from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea, including Seven Swords, The Promise, The Myth, and A Battle of Wits, have been released. These films have not only integrated the regional film industries, capital, internationally known filmmaking personnel and popular stars to target the Asian market, but also forged ahead into the global film market by labeling themselves as “Asian productions” or “Asian films.”