Curtain call for first SCO Film Festival

Penned by award-winning scriptwriter Wang Haiping, the film will be shot in Qingdao, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Pakistan, and is scheduled to open by the end of 2019.

Wang says the movie will feature a dedicated protagonist leading a convoy of vehicles who has to overcome adverse weather conditions-from mudslides to avalanches-to join the main highway construction team.

During the festival's Film Market, a highlighted section held from June 14 to 15, nearly a dozen Chinese companies signed memorandums to show their intentions to purchase 11 films, including Indian drama Sultan and Night Accident from Kyrgyzstan and the Russian title, Night Watchman.

For most industry insiders and filmmakers, the festival is an ideal opportunity to celebrate the diversity of cinema, and demonstrate how a story with universal value can travel beyond borders.

"In recent years, some non-Hollywood foreign movies have scored high box-office revenues in China, which shows that Chinese audiences are becoming more accepting of, and discerning about, good stories," says Fu Ruoqing, president of Huaxia Film Distribution Co, during one of the festival's forums on the theme of cooperation.

He adds that many of these box-office hits showcased their country's landscapes and customs, while recounting positive and uplifting tales of compassion that resonate with local audiences.

As one of the Chinese distributors behind the Indian hits Dangal, PK and Secret Superstar, and Russian blockbuster He Is A Dragon, Huaxia has launched an alliance to introduce more movies from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, says Fu.