Aynne Kokas, Ph.D.
- Book
- About Me
- Book Events
- Selected Television Appearances
- Select Radio and Podcast Appearances
- Print Media Coverage
- Features
- Current Positions
- Reviews of Hollywood Made in China
- Scholarly Articles
- Popular writing
- Grants and Fellowships
- Upcoming Events
- Connect on Social Media
- Social Me
- Awards & Recognition
- Contact Me
- Book
- About Me
- Book Events
- Selected Television Appearances
- Select Radio and Podcast Appearances
- Print Media Coverage
- Features
- Current Positions
- Reviews of Hollywood Made in China
- Scholarly Articles
- Popular writing
- Grants and Fellowships
- Upcoming Events
- Connect on Social Media
- Social Me
- Awards & Recognition
- Contact Me
- Powered By
Drawing on policy analysis, firsthand interviews, and site visits, Hollywood Made in China reveals how US commercial media is being transformed by the Chinese market.
Hollywood Made in China was reviewed and/or featured in media in 48 countries and eleven languages from its publication to the present.
* Best Non-fiction Title, 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
* Best Academic Title, 2018 Chinese American Librarian Association
* Chinese translation forthcoming December 2019
Biography
Aynne Kokas is an assistant professor of media studies at the University of Virginia.
Her multiple-award-winning first book, Hollywood Made in China (University of California Press, 2017) argues that Chinese investment and regulations have transformed the US commercial media industry. Her next book project Data Trafficking: The United States, China, and the Global Battle for Data Security examine the policy implications of the transfer of consumer data between the United States and China. Kokas' research has also appeared in Information, Communication, and Society, Journal of Asian Studies, PLOS One, and others. Kokas is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Funding agencies including from the Fulbright Foundation, the Social Science Research Council, the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and others have supported her research. Kokas’ writing and commentary have appeared in forty-eight countries and eleven languages.
Book Events
Meet the author and learn more about Hollywood Made in China
July 29, 2018
San Diego, CA
TBA
Pacific Arts Movement
(Non-profit arm of San Diego Asian American Film Festival)
May 7 , 2018
Tokyo, Japan
TBA
Waseda University
1 Chome-104 Totsukamachi
Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8050
May 2 , 2018
Hong Kong, China
4:00 - 5:30 pm
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR
The People's Republic of China
April 24, 2018
Washington, DC
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Hill Center
921 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
March 18, 2018
Philadelphia, PA
12:00 - 1:00 pm
University of Pennsylvania
Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication
Center for the Study of Contemporary China
3620 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
February 26, 2018
Ithaca, NY
4:30 pm
Cornell University
Cornell Contemporary China Initiative
Kaufman Auditorium
Ithaca, NY 14853
Video here.
February 6, 2018
Chicago, IL
Paulson Institute
University of Chicago
November 17, 2017
Minneapolis, MN
Hollywood Made in China
University of Minnesota
October 26, 2017
Oxford, UK
Hollywood Made in China
Oxford Center for Chinese Studies Colloquium
17:00-18:30
China Centre Lecture Theatre
University of Oxford
October 25, 2017
London, UK
Hollywood Made in China
Culture, Media and Creative Industries Seminar
16.00-18.00 hrs
S-2.23 Strand Building
King's College, London
October 24, 2017
Nottingham, UK
Hollywood Made in China
Institute for Screen Industries Research and China Policy Institute
University of Nottingham
October 12, 2017
Washington, DC
Georgetown Institute for Global History
Georgetown University
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20057
August 23, 2017
Singapore
4:15 - 5:15 pm
School of Communication
National University of Singapore
Blk AS6, #03-41
CNM Meeting RoomJune 7, 2017
Washington, DC
U.S. Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20230
May 2017
San Diego, CA
International Communication Association Annual Meeting
May 17, 2017
Washington, DC
DACOR Bacon House Foundation Newberry Lecture
April 22, 2017
Providence, RI
April 20, 2017
Williamsburg, VA
2-3:20 pm/5-6:20 pm
April 18, 2017
Carlisle, PA
7:00 pm
April 12, 2017
Durham, NC
7:00 pm
Duke University
Fuqua School of Business
April 7, 2017
Minneapolis, MN
1-2:30 pm
Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and
Moving Image Colloquium
University of Minnesota
More information available here.
March 27, 2017
Washington, DC
2-3:15 pm
March 25, 2017
Chicago, IL
11:00-12:45 am
Envisioning Global Media Industries in the Era of China's Rise
Society of Cinema and Media Studies Annual Meeting
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
March 18, 2017
Toronto, ON
3:00-5:00 pm
Media in Motion: Chinese Creative Content in Global Context
Association for Asian Studies Annual Meeting
Willow West, Mezzanine
Sheraton Centre
March 17, 2017
Toronto, ON
4:00-6:00 pm
Toronto Film and Media Seminar
TIFF Bell Lightbox
350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5, Canada
March 9, 2017
Los Angeles, CA
4:00pm to 5:30 pm
US-China Institute
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
University of Southern California
Books will be available for sale
Video here
March 8, 2017
Los Angeles, CA
5:00-7:00 PM
Cinema and Media Studies Colloquium
School of Theater, Film and Television
University of California, Los Angeles
Darren Star Theater
Melnitz Hall 1422
March 7, 2017
Los Angeles, CA
8-9:30 pm
University of Virginia Alumni Entertainment Club of Los Angeles
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Conference Room 4A
2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
March 6, 2017
Washington, DC
10:00-11:15 am
Kissinger Institute on China and the United States
Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th Floor
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20004-3027Video here.
February 27, 2017
New York, NY
5:30-7:00pm
February 7, 2017
Denver, CO
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Center for US-China Cooperation
University of Denver
Josef Korbel
School of International Relations
SIE Complex - 5th Floor - Maglione Hall
2201 S. Gaylord St., Denver, CO 80208Selected Television Appearances
CNBC Squawk Box
Discussing US-China Film Treaty
PBS' Great Decisions
Episode: "Made in China"
PBS' Coy Barefoot Show
Selected Radio Coverage
Radio
- CBC Radio brought a northern perspective to the China-Hollywood debate. We discuss why Canadian Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool failed to enter China's film market.
- KABC-LA's Peter Tilden and I discussed what people in Hollywood need to know about Chinese investment (March 8, from 18:00).
- "Background Briefing with Ian Masters" on KPFK 90.7 LA.
- Interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company.
I spoke to Marco Werman of PRI's The World on "What happened to Fan Bingbing?"
I discussed Hollywood's inroads into China as a part of "Lights, Camera, Action: China Embraces Hollywood" on SiriusXM's Knowledge@Wharton
Select Print Media Coverage
United States
Pacific Standard lauds Hollywood Made in China for jointly mapping "the business of culture, and the culture of business."
I spoke with NBC News about some of the challenges being posed by China's growing media influence.
In conjunction with other Chinese media scholars, I discuss the long-term prospects for Chinese investment in Hollywood on ChinaFile.
As part of an article by Public Radio International, I explain how China is using its economic leverage to shape Hollywood filmmaking.
Asia-Pacific Region
I was able to share my work with Japanese readers when Business Insider Japan published an excerpt of Hollywood Made in China translated from the US edition.
Indonesian paper Tirto also quoted me the relationship between China and Hollywood in an article examining its implications for Southeast Asia.
Apple Daily in Hong Kong and Taiwan covered my talk at the National Committee on US-China Relations, writing about the ways in which Hollywood changes for China.
Europe and Latin America
The Financial Times drew on arguments from Hollywood Made in China when analyzing Dalian Wanda's growth in the newspaper's English and Chinese versions.
Medium Italia translated and published my comments on the significance of China's first USD 150 million budget film.
Selected Features
Birtles, B. (2018). China’s new breed of patriotic hero on the big screen reflects rise of a superpower.
Australian Broadcast Corporation (2018, February 11). China’s new breed of patriotic hero on the big screen reflects rise of a superpower.
Economy, E. (n.d.). Podcast: Hollywood Made in China.
Frater, B. L. P. (2018, March 29). China Film Quota Talks Could Be a Casualty in Trump’s Trade War.
He, A. (2017, June 9). China to be No. 1 film box office by 2021, report says - USA - Chinadaily.com.cn. China Daily USA.
Khoa, Đ. (2017). Hè 2017: Một mùa hè bom tấn đáng thất vọng.
Lang, B. (2017, June 27). China Box Office Audit: Why Hollywood Needed to Get Tough.
Mannepalli, A. (2017, July 8). Bollywood Conquers China? Not Quite. The Diplomat.
March 27 - Countries Join the UK in Expelling Russian Spies; Will Hollywood Cave to Demands By Chinese Censors?; Repeal the Second Amendment? | Background Briefing with Ian Masters. (2018). WPFK Los Angeles/WBAI New York.
McCann, C. (Ed.). (2018). 011 Aynne Kokas: Hollywood Made In China - The China-Hollywood Greenlight. The China-Hollywood Greenlight.
Meyers, J. K. J. (2017, June 24). Chinese authorities put the brakes on a surge in live streaming.
Li, A. J. (2017, August 7). Money alone can’t build China a thriving film industry. South China Morning Post.
Tones, J. (2017). Las 13 películas más taquilleras de la historia de China que están cambiando Hollywood para siempre. Magnet.
Zhong, R. (2018, April 1). When “America First” meets China’s “National Rejuvenation” | TheHill.
Zing, T. (2018, March 30). Khi Hollywood nỗ lực l� m phim cho người Trung Quốc xem.
参考消息网. (2018). 外媒称中国利用好莱坞发展国产电影：未来银幕主角将是中国人.
国家新闻出版广电总局. (2018). 为在新谈判中争取更高分账比 好莱坞将审计在华票房.
查尔斯•克洛弗马修•加拉汉; (2018, January 5). 中国对好莱坞失去兴趣的背后. 《金融时报》.
CURRENT AND FORMER POSITIONS
Kluge Center, Library of Congress
Fellow
October 2019 – August 20202
Examining the cybersecurity policy implications of the Sino-US data trade
Council on Foreign Relations
Term Member
Jun 2016 – Present
Advisory Committee Member, 2019-Present
Member of a program designed to cultivate the next generation of foreign policy leaders
University of Virginia
Assistant Professor of Media Studies
Aug 2014 – Present
Research, write and teach about collaborations between Chinese and American media and technology corporations
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy -- Rice University
Non-resident Scholar in Chinese Media
Aug 2014 – Present
Conduct policy research on Sino-US media and technology collaborations for Baker Institute China Studies Program
Reviews of Hollywood Made in China
- China Review (Hong Kong University Press)
- Modern Chinese Literature and Culture (Ohio State)
- China Review International (University of Hawaii Press)
- China Film Insider
- Pacific Standard
- Council on Foreign Relations Asia Unbound podcast
Articles
Contact me for copies
We constructed an "Air Discussion Index" to estimate daily particulate matter counts based upon Sina Weibo (Chinese Twitter) content.
Tao Zhu, Aynne Kokas, Rui Zhang, Dan Cohan, and Dan Wallach PLOS ONE 11(9) 2016
“Freedom Edition”: Considering Sony Pictures and The Interview
Led by Joshua Braun, we convened a dialogue in response to the recent public and media discourse surrounding the security breach at Sony Pictures Entertainment and its film, The Interview focusing on North Korea, cybersecurity, and digital distribution.
Aynne Kokas, Chuck Tryon, Hugh Gusterson, and Joshua Braun Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 60 (4) 2016
Here I argue that the comparative fragmentation of media regulatory power in the US, despite long benefiting Hollywood studios, makes them susceptible to Chinese government efforts to expand media soft power.
Aynne Kokas, “Predicting Volatility Between China and Hollywood: Using Network Management to Understand Sino-US Film Collaboration, Global Media and Communication, Advance Online Publication, https://doi.org/10.1177/1742766518759797
Here I argue that the financial interests of US-based online entertainment platforms are magnifying the financial growth of Chinese competitors due to focus by US firms on short-term shareholder value.
Kokas, Aynne. 2018. "Chilling Netflix: financialization, and the influence of the Chinese market on the American entertainment industry." Information, Communication & Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1510534
Popular feature on article: https://investorplace.com/2019/10/china-influence-help-iqiyi-iq-stock/
Here I argue that the financial interests of US-based platforms are amplifying the global impact of Chinese domestic cybersecurity regulations.
Kokas, Aynne. 2018. "Platform Patrol: China, the United States, and the Global Battle for Data Security." Journal of Asian Studies 77 (4):923-933.
Popular Publications
U.S. Responses to Chinese Influence Operations in the United States: Hearing before the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, House of Representatives, 115th Cong. (2018) (Testimony of Aynne Kokas).
Grants and Fellowships
- 2019-2020 National Endowment of Humanities Fellow
- 2019-2020 Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress
- 2019-2021 Abe Fellow
- 2018-2019 Institute for Humanities and Global Cultures Mellon Fellowship
- National Committee on US-China Relations Congressional Liaison in Media and Technology (to lead a group of Congressional staffers on a delegation to China to examine the Chinese media and technology industries in August 2018)
- National Endowment of Humanities Object Lessons Fellowship
- Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars
Upcoming Events
February 11, 2019: George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs
April 16-18, 2019: Media Industries Conference, London, UK
Stay in TouchTwitter updates
Awards and Recognition
Hollywood Made in China was selected as a finalist for the Montaigne Medal, Eric Hoffer Awards. Less than 3% of 1600 books were selected for the honor.
Hollywood Made in China was reviewed and/or featured in media in 45 countries and ten languages from its publication to the present.
Hollywood Made in China was named Best General Non-Fiction Book at the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Hollywood Made in China was chosen as Best Scholarly Monograph at the Chinese American Librarian Association.
Hollywood in China was a finalist for the Frank Luther Mott-Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism & Mass Communication Award.
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Copyright 2016