Beijing film fest closes with mixed prospects
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, April 29, 2012
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The weeklong second Beijing International Film Festival closed Saturday night at the Beijing Olympic Park, with a concert featuring memorable classic film music. [Photo: China.org.cn] |
"Due to the huge cultural difference and the lack of international operating experience, Chinese films are really hard to go overseas via a foreign vehicle," Huayi's Wang Zhongjun said. "What we are really expecting, is a deep cooperation regarding channels and shares, but we haven't found a way to do so yet."
Even the very popular "Kung Fu Panda" actually exploit its Chinese factors to create an exotic feel to the movie. Chen Xiaoxiang, boss of the "Gods" trilogy's Chinese partner Yi Shang Media Group, said China does have a long history and tons of stories to tell, but many could not be understood, let alone loved, by foreign audiences. "We conducted a half year-long research on all the stories containing Chinese elements, before finally deciding on 'Gods', as it can be also understood without a historical background."
Insiders said that since Hollywood and other foreign companies are so strong to collaborate with, Chinese film studios often play small parts on the commercial side.
"No matter whether it's the overseas funding or the co-production aspects, for many Chinese companies, it's not really realistic. We'd better do a great film on our own at first." said producer Wang Lu.
Amid all these expectations and concerns however, the Chinese market is poised to become the world's second largest. Next year's Beijing International Film Festival will feature a competitive component; as such competitions are part of the international custom and the "soul" of a film festival.
"We didn't have the time to prepare for this," Li Qiankuan, Chairman of China Film Association and Vice Chairman of the festival, told China.org.cn, "We'll do it next year."
The festival will become an increasingly important event in the global movie industry and Beijing is likely to become a world-class film center in its own right, he said.
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