XIAMEN, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Father, a joint production of Britain and France, has won the best international film of China's 34th Golden Rooster Awards as the winners were announced Thursday in the city of Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province.

Featuring Anthony Hopkins, the film tells a story of a man who refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.

Launched in 1981, the Golden Rooster Awards is sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Film Association.

This is the first time for China's leading film award "Golden Rooster" to set the best international film award. Five foreign films competed for the award, namely "The Father," "Persischstunden," "Pinocchio," "Wolfwalkers" and "Happy Old Year."

Zhang Aigong, a professor with the school of film, Xiamen University, said that such a move is beneficial to broadening the appeal of the Chinese film market overseas and improving the artistic quality of domestic movies.

"The new award establishes an interactive platform among outstanding Chinese films, the audience and the global film market. It also demonstrates that the Chinese film market is open and inclusive," Zhang added.

Boosted by the roaring commercial success of domestic blockbusters, China's yearly box office total has hit over 47 billion yuan (about 7.4 billion U.S. dollars), ahead of the 4.5 billion dollars registered in North America, according to the latest figures.

This is the second year in a row China has claimed the worldwide box office crown, sending a message of confidence to filmmakers in China and beyond.

Zhang Yan, a professor with the school of arts and media at Beijing Normal University, said any country with a relatively mature film industry will regard China as an important market.

"With sound infrastructure and a population of 1.4 billion, the potential of our film market is huge," Zhang said.

According to data released by the China Film Administration and the China Film Art Research Center, as of Dec. 8, 2021, the number of screens in China reached 81,317, ranking first in the world. Over the past five years, China's total movie production exceeded 4,000 films and admissions topped 8 billion.

"We need to send more Chinese films overseas and let more foreign films in, so as to boost bilateral exchanges and further drive the level of domestic movie production," Zhang Yan said.

Co-production has become a trend in cooperation between domestic and overseas filmmakers.

"Co-production has always been an important form in the film industry, as we can blend different cultures together and inspire new sparks in the process," said Zhang Jingyu, an associate professor at the Communication University of China. Enditem

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