Russian distributors Karo and Central Partnership will form a company that will distribute Chinese films in Russia and Russian films in China.
The project was announced at a meeting between Russian and Chinese culture officials at Russia's culture ministry on Friday, said a report on the ministry's web site.
"The Chinese market is very attractive but also very closed," Russia's culture minister Vladimir Medinsky was quoted as saying. "We have been discussing cooperation in the film area with China's culture ministry and China Film Group since late 2014."
According to Medinsky, while Karo and Central Partnership will be distributing Russian movies in China and Chinese films in Russia, direct contacts between other Russian and Chinese companies are not ruled out.
Producer Dmitry Rudovsky, who also took part in the meeting, was quoted by the trade journal Exhibitor's Bulletin as saying that the new company, formed by Central Partnership and Karo, will operate under close control of the culture ministry.
"Through this company, the ministry will be selecting pictures for the Chinese market to create a particular image of Russia, which we want to present to Chinese viewers," he said.
Over the last year, Russia and China have been increasingly discussing collaboration in the area of film production and distribution. Earlier this month, Chinese investment in the Russian animated film Quackerz 3D was announced.