Thursday, June 21, 2018 19 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION

he curtain has dropped on the first SCO Film Festival, an event that gathered togetherT talent from the 12 Shanghai Cooperation Orga­ nization member and observ­ er states to boost cultural exchanges and cinematic cooperation. On the closing night, the Chinese movie Enter the For­ bidden City and Mina Walk­ ing from Afghanistan jointly won the best picture prize of the Golden Seagull Awards, the festival’s top honor. Yosef The Chinese movie Enter the Baraki, the filmmaker behind Forbidden City opens the SCO Mina Walking — a 110­minute Film Festival and is a winner of tale of a 12­year­old Afghan the best picture prize. street seller named Mina — took home the award for best director. to select the winners of the Directed by veteran film­ Golden Seagull Awards, maker Hu Mei and starring Filmmakers from member and observer states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization receive the Special Jury Awards at the SCO Film Festival. The awards went to the believes Chinese filmmakers actress Ma Yili, Enter the For­ films Yo’L Bo’Lsin (Uzbekistan), Air Safar (Tajikistan), Mermaid (Iran), Punjab Nahi Jaungi (Pakistan) and Tum­Pabi­Dum (Belarus). PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY can learn from their counter­ bidden City recounts the rise parts in the SCO nations, espe­ of Peking Opera under the cially about their focus on reign of emperor Qianlong making stories with a strong during the Qing Dynasty human interest. (1644­1911). It was also the And just as Chinese voiced opening film of the festival. their desire to see more quality Nearly 60 movies were imports from the SCO nations, screened more than 260 times CURTAIN CALL many of the foreign filmmak­ in 10 cinemas around Qing­ ers were quick to echo their dao, Shandong province, for sentiments. nearly 50,000 people during The first SCO Film Festival unveils a slew of cinematic exchanges, Renowned actor, and head the five­day festival. of the Russian delegation, Ser­ “It was the first time that as member nations plan to embark on a new era of artistic collaboration. Xu Fan reports. gei Puskepalis, says there has most of the movies had been been a growing interest screened in China. It gives Chi­ among Russian audiences to nese audiences a chance to see see more Chinese films films with unique characteris­ screened in their country in tics that represent the respec­ recent years. tive countries’ cinematic Pakistani producer­director culture,” says Sun Xianghui, Momina Duraid Qureshi says director of the China Film she was keen to reach out to Archive. Chinese postproduction com­ “Some films from Afghani­ panies about using their servi­ stan were widely praised by the ces for her movies, since selection panel. These movies Pakistan faces a shortage of revealed an authentic, modern these kinds of facilities. country that is quite different She also believes the growth from the image of Afghanistan of the Chinese population in depicted in most Western mov­ Pakistan in recent years will ies,” says Sun. provide more inspiration for Other than the awards, Above: Actress Ruby Lin and actor Duan Yihong announce the best coproductions. plans for a series of projects actor award on the closing night of the festival. Right: Singers and “My youngest son is 8 years aimed at developing cinemat­ dancers from SCO nations perform at the closing ceremony. old. His best friend is a Chi­ ic exchanges among the eight nese boy,” says Qureshi, sug­ SCO member states and four gesting it as an example of observer nations were invite movie regulators and structed by the two countries. During the festival’s Film with universal value can travel their country’s landscapes and how a cross­cultural friend­ unveiled. industry insiders from the Penned by award­winning Market, a highlighted section beyond borders. customs, while recounting ship could be developed into The Beijing Film Academy, SCO states to attend seminars scriptwriter Wang Haiping, held from June 14 to 15, near­ “In recent years, some non­ positive and uplifting tales of an interesting movie. one of China’s top film schools, aimed at introducing the Chi­ the film will be shot in Qing­ ly a dozen Chinese compa­ Hollywood foreign movies compassion that resonate “China’s film industry is launched a training program nese movie industry and dao, the Xinjiang Uygur nies signed memorandums have scored high box­office with local audiences. growing very fast. It’s not only offering scholarships to young showcasing its latest filmmak­ autonomous region and Paki­ to show their intentions to revenues in China, which As one of the Chinese dis­ doing well domestically,” filmmakers from the SCO ing technology. stan, and is scheduled to open purchase 11 films, including shows that Chinese audiences tributors behind the Indian observes Asef Baraki, the member countries to study The latest SCO project was by the end of 2019. Indian drama Sultan and are becoming more accepting hits Dangal, PK and Secret Afghan producer of Mina cinema in China. Operating also unveiled at the film festi­ Wang says the movie will Night Accident from Kyrgyz­ of, and discerning about, good Superstar, and Russian block­ Walking. “But it’s also becom­ under a quota system, the val. A coproduction between feature a dedicated protago­ stan and the Russian title, stories,” says Fu Ruoqing, pres­ buster He Is A Dragon, Huaxia ing influential abroad. As a scholarships will be offered teams from China and Paki­ nist leading a convoy of vehi­ Night Watchman. ident of Huaxia Film Distribu­ has launched an alliance to result, we look forward to annually over the next three stan, The Journey is a film cles who has to overcome For most industry insiders tion Co, during one of the introduce more movies from cooperating more with Chi­ years. inspired by a true story that adverse weather conditions — and filmmakers, the festival is festival’s forums on the theme countries involved in the Belt nese filmmakers.” The China Film Co Ltd, the took place on the Karakoram from mudslides to avalanches an ideal opportunity to cele­ of cooperation. and Road Initiative, says Fu. country’s largest State­owned Highway, one of the world’s — to join the main highway brate the diversity of cinema, He adds that many of these Han Sanping, who presided Contact the writer at studio, launched a project to highest paved roads, con­ construction team. and demonstrate how a story box­office hits showcased over the 12­member jury panel [email protected] Chinese filmmakers move to put better systems in place

By XU FAN Huayi Brothers Pictures, Chi­ na’s first privately owned stu­ China’s rapidly expanding dio to go public, says: “It is a film industry is regularly set­ must­needed element for Chi­ ting new records. As of June nese filmmakers.” 16, the country’s box­office Huayi recently unveiled its takings surpassed 30 billion 2018 lineup in Shanghai, yuan ($4.6 billion) 35 days highlighting its films with earlier than last year, accord­ special­effects sequences, ing to the live tracker Maoy­ such as Detective Dee: The an. Four Heavenly Kings and In 2017, China saw takings Mojin, an adventure tale of 55.9 billion yuan thanks adapted from a namesake mainly to blockbusters best­selling novel. released during the two most But post­production aside, lucrative box­office seasons — Ye also says that industrializa­ the Spring Festival holiday in Left: Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings is a highlighted production by Huayi Brothers Pictures this year. Right: Industry insiders, such as Alibaba Pictures CEO Fan tion of the movie­making busi­ January and the summer vaca­ Luyuan (second left), and Ren Zhonglun (right), president of Shanghai Film Group Corp, discuss the future of the Chinese movie industry at the Shanghai film festival. ness should be done from end tion. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY to end. And now, with the July­Au­ As an example, he talks gust vacation around the cor­ about a seven­author Holly­ ner, the box­office figure is Ren Zhonglun, president of 28 of the 100 highest­grossing cial to guarantee sustainable tures Wu Jing as both star and 830 million, up 16 percent wood scriptwriting team he expected to hit a new record the Shanghai Film Group homegrown films in 2018 development. director, was the highest­ year­on­year. recently met, in which two this year, according to indus­ Corp, says the Chinese movie made profits, with 19 just He says a producer­centric grossing film in China of all With more than 9,000 new writers pen the plot while the try sources at the ongoing 21st industry is set to see the rise of breaking even and the remain­ system, the way Hollywood time and the sixth highest­ screens coming into service remaining five work on char­ Shanghai International Film big companies that can oper­ ing 53 losing money. does things, should replace grossing movie in the global in 2017, China now has more acters. Festival. ate a chain from production to Now, industrialization, the current system in China, in box­office charts last year, than 55,000 screens. Nearly “That’s how Hollywood A report by the China Film distribution. referring to a mature system which directors or stars often attracting some unlikely view­ 88 percent of them can basically works on a project,” Association released at the “In Hollywood, movies pro­ with advanced technology and have the final word. ers. screen movies in the 3D for­ he says. “But in most Chinese festival, which began on June duced by the top six studios standardized procedures, is a Fan believes the Chinese Youth, a nostalgic drama mat. movies, we cannot even make 16 and runs through June 25, account for 85 percent of buzzword in Chinese movie movie industry needs more directed by Feng Xiaogang, But though China has seen a the storyline look logical, let shows that China accounts for North America’s box­office circles, something that was talent to explore different gen­ attracted middle­aged and construction spree when it alone build the roles.” nearly one­third of the takings, and 26 percent for the evident at the Shanghai festi­ res. elderly viewers, an unusual comes to the world’s most Director Guo Fan, who is world’s box­office takings, global market,” says Ren, val. “The biggest change last demographic as China’s main­ advanced screens, the country working on the sci­fi epic The just behind North America, explaining that China could Fan Luyuan, a partner in year was the unprecedented stream theatergoers are typi­ is lagging behind Hollywood Wandering Earth, says China and will surpass it in the years see a similar scene in around the Alibaba Group and chief expansion in the number of cally in their 20s. in film technology, especially lags behind Hollywood by at to come. 10 years. executive officer of Alibaba moviegoers,” says Fan, giving Separately, statistics from in making visual­effects­stud­ least 20 years. But he believes But for most filmmakers in Meanwhile, a study by the Pictures, the Internet giant’s the examples of Wolf Warrior the China Film Bureau show ded spectacles. that the Chinese film industry China, the domestic movie WeChat public account Yiqi film unit, says the film indus­ 2 and Youth. that domestic viewership for Focusing on the industriali­ can catch up in five to seven industry is still developing. Paidianying shows that only try should be more commer­ Wolf Warrior 2, which fea­ the year as of May was nearly zation theme, Ye Ning, CEO of years.