Silver Screening online films(2)

A scene from this year's Golden Globe nominee Birdman, starring Michael Keaton. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Others, such as Birdman, Foxcatcher and best foreign film-winner Leviathan, will soon appear on the site.

Indeed, Chinese video sites have long shown Western films. But previously these films had long beforehand been released on DVD. It wasn't until 2012 that the sites, with Tencent Video leading the way, began streaming new releases.

Users can watch these films multiple times within 48 hours for about 5 yuan.

Streaming sites' abundance of foreign films is a game changer, since the number of foreign films that can be screened in cinemas a year is legally limited to 34.

Websites are subjected to less rigorous official scrutiny and box office pressure. This affords for not only more foreign films but more diverse genres, such as horror and art-house flicks.

Take James Wan's applauded exorcism-themed production, The Conjuring. The movie was reportedly viewed 900,000 times on Tencent Video and 150,000 times on Youku within just a week in August 2013, when it became available on the Chinese sites shortly after its US release.

Other anticipated productions like The Hangover 3 and best-picture Oscar winner Argo were widely viewed online by Chinese shortly after their US releases.

Chinese streaming sites are reaching out to the US' best production houses.

Tencent is cooperating with Disney companies, including Marvel Entertainment and Pixar Animation Studios.

By working with Hollywood's "big six", iQiyi.com licenses over 2,000 movies a year.

Foreign films account for nearly half of the website's total stock and covers "pretty much every genre the audiences could want", iQiyi's senior vice-president Yang Xianghua says.

International festivals also offer opportunities for Chinese video websites to approach brand new productions, iQiyi CEO Gong Yu tells US entertainment trade magazine Variety.