Beijing film festival fosters overseas cooperation

China has deepened its cooperation with a number of countries in the area of filmmaking over the past decade.

Over the period, China has signed film coproduction agreements with 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Japan and India.

From 2000 to 2019, China coproduced 244 films with other countries, 49 of which films saw their respective box-office revenue exceed 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) on the Chinese mainland, said Liu Chun, general manager of the China Film Co-Production Corp, at the recent Beijing International Film Festival.

"We have a large market in China. Domestic and imported films can barely cater to the demand of the moviegoers, so we are going to enter a phase to improve the quality of our films while speeding up the country's filmmaking industrialization process," Liu says.

In the following two or three years, there will be more coproduced films featuring in-depth cooperation, including those shot overseas, reflecting the advantages of the strategy, according to Liu.

Some foreign filmmakers also spoke at the film festival on the importance of overcoming cultural differences and winning over global audiences.

When making films, it is crucial to come up with a story that can both live up to the market expectation and to which viewers can relate, says Norman Abdul Halim, president at KRU Entertainment of Malaysia and deputy chairman of the National Film Development Corp Malaysia.

Finnish director Renny Harlin, best known for directing Die Hard 2, says Hollywood films are adept at "global marketing"-adding elements to films that can resonate with audiences around the world.

"Whether this kind of element can be shaped is an important factor that determines the future of the film," says Harlin.

Successful coproductions require both box-office success and a good reputation in both the domestic and overseas markets. The Meg, which was co-produced by Gravity Pictures International Ltd and Warner Brothers in 2018, is one such success story.

Zhao Fang, president of Warner Brothers China, says a high level of industrialization, a modern story that resonates with global audiences, and an international expression are among the key factors for the success of co-produced films.

In the process of China's film industrialization, the international expression of Chinese stories takes on more importance, which is not only related to the expansion of market revenue, but also conducive to the spread of Chinese culture, according to Zhao.

Known for his Letters of Love and Last Letter, Japanese director Shunji Iwai says he will come to China again to produce a sequel of the latter.

The Chinese feature film, a love story, enjoyed success both at home and abroad after its release in 2018.

In order to promote film coproduction projects, audiences will be able to enjoy several Sino-foreign films at the festival.

Xinhua