Twenty foreign films being shown in Sanya are bringing brand new images to Chinese audiences during the on-going national film festival in this beach resort of China's southernmost province of Hainan.

These foreign films from 16 countries will compete for eight awards -- two of each for the most popular foreign films, directors, actors and actresses -- which will be granted by the common Chinese audience at the 14th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, China's most prestigious film contest, held annually.

The 20 foreign films, including The Aryan Couple directed by John Daly from the United States, Blood Tears by Kim Dae-Seung from the Republic of Korea, Love's Brother by Jan Sardi from Australia, and Schiller by Martin Weinhart from Germany, were produced during 2004 and 2005 and are being shown in China for the first time. Steven Roeder, a film producer from the United States, said that he had not expected to win an award at the festival, but he did try to seek business opportunities for cooperation with Chinese partners.

"Given the huge market in China, I want to find out what kinds of films Chinese audiences like and I want to expand distribution of my films in China," said Marek Vesely, a film maker from Czechoslovakia.

Films from different countries and with different cultural backgrounds can provide Chinese film makers access to better understanding of foreign movies and bring broad views and inspiration to Chinese film makers, said Kang Jianmin, executive vice chairman of the China Film Association.

These films can also provide the Chinese common audience easy access to understanding foreign cultures, said Qi Song, an official in charge of the international films show of the 14th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

Awarding foreign films at the national film festival will prompt more international films to come to China, said a foreigner present at the film festival.

Since feature film The Fugitive was introduced into China in 1994, overseas blockbusters have been imported to the country by 20 each year and the number has risen to 26 after 2004.

China has the world's biggest film market, with its market potential standing at 15 billion to 20 billion yuan (US$246 million), which is expected to grow to 50 billion yuan in ten years, said Tong Gang, head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Many foreign film makers regard China's movie market as a "diamond mine." Some foreign film firms such as Warner Brothers Inc. have cooperated with Chinese companies to launch cinemas in Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian, Wuhan and other Chinese cities as China loosens control on foreign funds flowing into film screening industry in the country.

"It is understandable that foreign filmmaking firms are urgently finding out what the Chinese audience likes, to explore the great potential of the China market," said Liu Jun, a research fellow with the Film Research Institute of the Beijing Film Academy. "The national film festival is no doubt the best 'touchstone'."

From a different point of view, Liu said, granting foreign movies awards at China's national film festival also demonstrate the ambition of Chinese filmmaking circles to explore the international market, which is good to both Chinese movies and the national film festival.

Due to lack of exchange with the foreign movie markets, almost no Chinese film was shown in western countries in the past.

The international film show at the current film festival was an initial step for Chinese movies to "melt into" the international filmmaking industry, said Yu Lan, a prestigious actress in China.

"With the first step taken, the second and third steps will surely follow," she said.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2005)