From Chinese screens to the world

Going global

But industry insiders agreed that, though Chinese films have been breaking box-office records domestically, they have yet to win the hearts of audiences in other countries.

Peter Chan Ho-sun, a renowned filmmaker from Hong Kong, said that one way to address this could be to create new Chinese films and TV series of international appeal, for streaming platforms like Netflix.

"Western audiences can watch non-English shows in other languages with the help of subtitles. I don't see why they would not be interested in good Chinese shows," Chan said at a master class he gave at the SIFF on Sunday.

Last year, the director launched his new company Changin' Pictures, with the aim of bringing together talented filmmakers around the world to create premium content for streaming sites.

The 60-year-old, who has directed 17 films and supervised the production of another about 40 films throughout his career, said he feels that the usual duration of a feature movie  — around 90 minutes and no more than two hours — is insufficient for storytelling.

"You can reveal different aspects of a character, tell the backstory, and present a complete series in eight to 10 episodes," says Chan, adding that he is happy to see short TV series growing in popularity due to the emergence of more streaming sites.

"Also, the streaming sites have nurtured new watching habits and audiences could easily binge-watch the entire series over a weekend."

Chan then expressed his belief that there are good stories in Chinese that audiences around the whole world can resonate with, and that he is ever-prepared to serve as a bridge between the two sides.

"First, we have to find good stories that foreign audiences can understand. … There can be a mixture of different languages. Maybe no more than one or two series would see some success but I think that would be a great start. Eventually, we will find the greatest 'common denominator' and create stories the whole world would love," he says.

He noted that many people in the West would like to know more about Asian culture, and as such, having more Chinese stories told on the global stage, he proposed, could help address this situation.

At another SIFF forum titled Action! Her Time — Life Without Limits, Chan spoke about his new TV series about a female murderer played by leading Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.

"I always have believed women are the stronger sex, and in the 40 years of being in the movie industry, I have shot quite a number of tough women who would do anything to achieve what they want," he said at the forum on Sunday celebrating female filmmakers.

His latest creation, a feature film based on the life story of Grand Slam-winning Chinese tennis player Li Na, will premiere later this year.