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Zhang Yuqi in Venice for Film Festival
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"Star Trek Beyond" earns $31 million in China debut
(CRI) Hollywood blockbuster Star Trek Beyond got a boost this weekend, landing at the top of the international box office chart thanks to an over-31 million US dollar debut in China.
The full frame was worth 37 million US dollars across 40 markets for offshore revenues to date of 131 million US dollars.
Star Trek Beyond comes with Chinese investment from Alibaba and Huahua Media which mounted a targeted promo campaign. Popular Chinese variety show Happy Camp devoted an episode to the film with participation from stars Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto.
Also upping the Chinese profile, Happy Camp co-host Xie Na and her husband Zhang Jie have a combined 120M followers on Weibo. Zhang acted as the film's Chinese ambassador and sang its local theme song. He also made a special appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego in July.
Source: CRI
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Leah Dou lends her voice to upcoming film 'Soulmate'
(CRI) Pop diva Faye Wong's daughter Leah Dou has recently released a new song," (It's not a crime) It's just what we do", which is the theme song for a coming-of-age film Soulmate.
A music video about Leah Dou's performance, which was co-produced by Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan and Soulmate's director Vernie YEUNG, has also been unveiled.
In this music video, filmed entirely in black-and-white, Leah Dou meets both Ansheng and July, two young girls who are portrayed by Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu and Ma Sichuan respectively.
Leah Dou said that she's created the theme song after she watched the film and got to understand Ansheng and July's sisters' affection. It is also the singer's first experience lending her voice to a movie since she began her career as a singer in 2012.
The movie Soulmate, also known as 'July and Ansheng' in Chinese is an adaptation from online novelist Anne Baby's work of the same name.
It tells the story of two girls who have been friends since they were thirteen years old. But, the two happen to fall in love with the same guy called Jia Ming, and are forced to choose between eternal friendship and love.
Soulmate is set to be released on September 14th.
Source: CRI
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Street shots of Wang Ou
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Street shots of Yuan Shanshan
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Zhang Ziyi all smiles
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Fan Bingbing and Lin Chi Ling dazzle ‘My New Wardrobe'
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'A Sentence is Worth Thousands' movie adaptation applauded
(CRI) A screening activity for the movie adaptation of Chinese writer Liu Zhenyun's novel 'A Sentence is Worth Thousands' has recently been held, two months ahead of its official release date.
The film called 'Someone to Talk to' is directed by Liu Zhenyun's daughter, Liu Yulin, who graduated from New York University with a master degree in film directing.
"1.8 million copies of original novel A Sentence is Worth Thousands had been published in China, and translated into over 20 languages. The film adaptation is actually a master piece of work, with stories that would shake people's inner world, even though it's neither taking place in a battle field nor applying any special effects. The film is based on the latter half of the novel."
'Someone to Talk to' is Liu Yulin's first long feature film.
The preview has won a lot of applause from viewers who think the portrayal conveys Chinese people's values on family and friends within the novel 'A Sentence is Worth Thousands', which also won Liu Zhenyun the prestigious Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2011.
Several dialogues among protagonists in the movie are thought-provoking, including "we should look forward to the future rather than being reminiscent of the past."
Liu Zhenyun is also the screenwriter for the new film, which is scheduled to hit theatres on November 11th, China's Singles' Day.
Actor Mao Hai and actress Li Qian play the leading roles, a couple on the verge of breaking up. This is the second time for Mao Hai and Li Qian to join Liu Yulin's directorial work. The previous one was a mini-film 'Door God or Men Shen' in Chinese released in 2014.
Source: CRI
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Tales of war hero adapted in new TV series
(China Daily) A television series based on the true stories of China's wartime hero Ma Zhanshan has recently made a splash on the small screen. The 38-episode series, "Battle of Jiangqiao," which has been broadcast on Beijing Satellite TV since Sept 4, revolves on the battle, which saw the Chinese army led by Ma to fight against Japanese invaders in November, 1931.
Despite outnumbered by the enemies and being short of food and weapons, Ma led his army to fight for around half a month.
Li Yan, the director, reveals that it took more than 10 years to prepare the script, making 80 percent of the scenarios recreating those happened 85 years ago.
"We've tried to humanize the roles and avoided to make the protagonist a stereotyped, over-perfect hero," Li says.
The series star awards-winning actor Li Youbin as the protagonist hero Ma. The cast also includes Liu Wei, Shi Jingming and Liu Jinshan.
To seek a better effect, Li Youbin, 58, refused to use a stand-in to shoot the scenarios with explosions and fights.
Speaking that he's read a lot of books and historical documentaries about Ma, the actor says the legendary hero has rich personalities and will impress the audiences.
Source: China Daily
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Chen Jianbin's latest TV series to be aired in Beijing
(China Daily) Chen Jianbin, who won two major awards at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards in 2014, returns to small screen.
On a recent Beijing event, the 46-year-old actor unveiled the backdrop of his latest TV series, "Chinese-style Relationship."
Revolving on the Chinese recognition of guanxi, or networking, the 36-episode series explores the different ways of thinking between the West and East, through the perspectives from a middle-aged official and an overseas-educated designer.
The series will run on Beijing Satellite TV from Sept 8, with two episodes every night.
Chen said the script impressed him, for it applies a dark-humor narration to examine the middle-age crisis and ordinary people's struggles.
Chen won the best actor and best new director awards at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival for his directorial debut, "A Fool," in which he plays the protagonist.
Source: China Daily
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Chinese Host and Actress Wu Xin Joins My New Wardrobe
Chinese host and actress Wu Xin, who is famous for co-hosting the TV game show Happy Camp which airs on Hunan Satellite TV, has recently joined a TV reality fashion show, My New Wardrobe.
"Wo De Xin Yi", literally translated into My New Wardrobe, is a sequel to Muse Dress. It was re-launched on Saturday, September 3rd on the Shanghai-based Dragon TV.
Wu Xin admits she appreciated the chance to be part of the show.
"I've been paying close attention to My New Wardrobe since its first season, and I also admire those stars who may join the TV reality show, for they could have the chance to try new clothes in different styles. I think this show is a good platform to display a contestant's talent and also to learn catwalk skills in an efficient way. They also master how to best present a new-style through singing and dancing that also tests a participant's quick reactions."
Wu Xin, along with three other participants, is required to give a unique interpretation via a film they select for the clothes they wear. Wu Xin chose Our Times or Wo De Shao Nu Shi Dai in Chinese to interpret her wardrobe.
Meanwhile, gorgeous stars from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Fan Bingbing, Wang Likun and Lin Chi-ling also converged in this upgraded fashion show, which seemed more like a beauty contest.
Source: CRI
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Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon
Ingynn Htoo waves after winning Miss Myanmar International 2016 in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Ingynn Htoo takes part in the Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Contestants take part in the Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Contestants take part in the Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Contestants take part in the Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Winners of Miss Myanmar International 2016 pose for photos during the Miss Myanmar International 2016 contest held in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 4, 2016.
Source: Xinhua
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Yang Mi poses for photo shoot
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Actress Qin Lan covers fashion magazine
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Wanda to built 100 more 4D cinema in China
According to the deal, two overseas companies will provide MX4D and 4DX technology and equipment to Wanda, including special seats, and light, smoke, wind machines.
Previously, Wanda Cinema imported 4D cinemas from the two companies and has already built two
4D cinemas in Nanning and Dalian.
The company is expected to become the cinema line with the most 4D screening rooms in China.
Source: CRI
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Xinhua Insight: What is the future for post-discount era domestic films?
(Xinhua) -- Since 2014, when online cinema ticket sales exploded, Chinese moviegoers have been a bit spoilt, with websites offering tickets for as little as 9.90 yuan (1.48 U.S. dollars), a fraction of the face value.
Audience buy ticket at low price, so companies must dip into their own coffers to foot the rest of the bill.
From this year, however, these offers are becoming few and ticket price stands at about 35 yuan.
China's box office revenue hit 12.429 billion yuan from June to August, nearly the same as last year's 12.431 billion yuan for the same period, according to the film fund office of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT).
However, of that total revenue, domestic films earned 4.7 billion yuan in the first half of 2016, 3.2 billion yuan less than that in the same period last year.
BUBBLE IN TICKET SALES
It will come as no surprise that e-commerce companies want to stake their share in the booming film industry.
"Alibaba and Tencent invested huge sums of money to offer discounted tickets just to encourage people to book tickets online," said Zhang Wenyue, an employee of dianping.com, China's major online consumer guide.
Film producers also got in on the act. Despite the huge outlays associated with offering discounts, their motivation was often financial -- larger audience numbers would result in more exposure, resulting in more investment for the next project, or higher box office takings, which would affect the price of listed companies.
Figures from Analysys, a data analysis company, show that box office takings for 2015 on the mainland reached 44 billion yuan, with nearly 5 billion yuan of that earned from ticket discounts.
Although movie ticket prices vary from state-to-state in the U.S., a two dollar ticket is a rarity.
"In New York, the ticket price is about 15 dollars for adults," said Chen Fengqi, a U.S.-based film and media postgraduate student.
NOT FOR THE LONG RUN
On July 22, Alibaba Pictures warned that it looked set to lose 400 million yuan in the first half of 2016, almost three times more than the same period last year, mainly because of ticket discounts.
"It is a great cost for Internet companies to offer discounts. It is impossible to continue this way," said Huang Guofeng with Analysys.
Another reason for dropping box office sales for domestic films is their quality. Moviegoers are reluctant to pay bills for tired, boring tropes.
In August this year, six out of 13 domestic movies were romances. The audience want more.
DEVELOPING FILM
Chinafilm.org and the China Film Producers' Association have issued a guideline on film ticket marketing and sales, which made it clear that the price of a ticket should not be lower than its agreed value. Effectively drawing a line under the practice of discounted tickets.
Although the phasing out of discounts will impact box office sales in the short term, it offers a rare opportunity for change. Production houses will now have the opportunity -- not to mention the funds -- to explore different approaches to storytelling, and support rising talent.
"The outlook is not dim this year, but it was overheated last year," said Peter Chan, a Hong Kong-based director.
He said that film market should be rational in the post-discount era, and focus on high-quality, rich content.
Tong Gang, deputy head of SAPPRFT, said that films are soft power that can help promote and develop culture and, currently, discounted tickets overshadow this.
The government must strengthen supervision and encourage better-quality filmmaking, Tong said.
Source: Xinhua
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Hollywood distributor eyes opportunities in global ambition of Chinese film industry
(Xinhua) The Chinese film industry is seeking to expand its influence on the global stage, which provides the perfect opportunity for international producers and distributors to get further involved in the lucrative Chinese market, a senior executive in the Hollywood business of film production and distribution told Xinhua in an interview here on Tuesday.
Stuart Ford, founder and CEO of IM Global, a Los Angeles-based multifunction company specialising in international film production, sales and distribution, said instead of focusing only on the domestic box office, Chinese companies and filmmakers are seeking to expand internationally.
"We want to be the bridge of that international expansion," he said.
Ford arrived at the 73rd Venice Film Festival to attend the premiere of Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge, a new film distributed globally by his company.
His company, since established in 2007, has found commercial success in the Chinese market by introducing Hollywood blockbusters to Chinese audiences.
In recent years, the company, with offices established in Beijing and Shanghai, also started to help Chinese films access the overseas market, including Mr. Six directed by Guan Hu and Mermaid by Stephen Chow.
In Ford's opinion, international film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival, have shown a growing appetite for the presence of Chinese companies and Chinese talent.
"Film festivals are the places where you can get the most audience reaction and the most media reaction. But the Chinese film industry is relatively young when it comes to international publicity.
So we decided to create a business that could help these Chinese companies and Chinese talent export themselves to major festivals as global players," he explained.
Given the importance of the Chinese market, it is essential for the company to be more than an importer of Hollywood films, but also an active participant in the local business, Ford said.
Among the big-budget Chinese films that made their way to the American and the European markets, few have had satisfactory performance in box office, raising questions among media and critics on whether the effort was in vain.
However, according to Ford, international success of a Chinese film should not be defined by box office.
"In the Chinese marketplace, box office is what everybody looks at, because that's where 80 to 90 percent of the revenue of a film is generated. But things are different in the international market," he said. "The real benchmarks of success for a Chinese film is not so much the box office number, but the eyeballs, and the methods of dissemination."
He explained that millions of Chinese speakers overseas would choose to watch Chinese films on internet or TV platforms instead of movie theatres, and those are the places that would generate the most revenue for Chinese films in coming years.
When it comes to subjects of Chinese films, Ford said that traditional subjects such as historical dramas and action films featuring martial arts would remain popular among Western audience, but he also expects a new wave coming to bring more human touches to Chinese films.
"As the Chinese film industry gets increasing mature, as filmmakers become more aware of script development and storytelling, I think romantic dramas and romantic comedies will become a new wave finding international audience because of their human components and universal nature of storytelling," he said.
Source: Xinhua
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Movie version of Osamu Tezuka's 'Black Jack' coming to China
(Nikkei) So how does a Japanese comic book about an unlicensed surgeon who saves patients with terrible diseases become a Chinese movie?
China's Beijing Enlight Media bought the rights to "Black Jack" from Tezuka's company, Tezuka Productions. The Chinese film and TV production company plans to make live-action movies based on the manga series using Chinese directors and actors.
Osamu Tezuka published "Black Jack" in 1973, at a low point in his career. The works of his rival, Ikki Kajiwara, had taken off while his own stories languished. The release of "Black Jack," a dark social commentary, marked his comeback.
The story was later made into live-action film and TV dramas. There were also animated versions for TV and film. Tezuka's company took a flexible attitude toward remaking the original, turning "Black Jack," in its various guises, into a cash cow.
The Chinese movie version of the manga is a first. According to the contract, Beijing Enlight Media will make 13 one-hour internet movies using Chinese directors and actors. They will be released as early as the end of 2017. The story is currently under review and Tezuka Productions will have a hand in checking storylines, characters and settings. "It costs about 30 million yen to 60 million yen ($290,000 to $581,000) to make one movie," said a representative of Access Bright Japan, a company that acts as an agent for Chinese clients.
Beijing Enlight Media also plans to make a movie for cinematic release, probably with a different director and actors. The company is expected to spend about 1.2 billion yen on the film.
Gold mine
So why did Beijing Enlight Media want to bring "Black Jack" to a Chinese audience?
"In China, where the number of wealthy is increasing as the economy grows, it is not unusual to pay extortionate fees for high-quality medical treatment," said a Tezuka Productions representative. "It seems they thought such a realistic backdrop and content that reveals the dark side of society and people would be popular with Chinese audiences."
China's entertainment market is expanding rapidly and the country does not have enough original content to meet demand. Japan's manga stories are a gold mine. China also restricts the import of foreign movies. But the restrictions do not apply to Chinese companies making films in China.
Tezuka Productions is eager to take full advantage of its library. Its openness to new adaptations of its stories makes it an ideal partner for content-hungry Chinese companies. "China's entertainment market is much larger than that of Japan and has grown at a breakneck pace. I was surprised when Chinese companies told me not to worry about budgets," said Yoshihiro Shimizu, general manager of Tezuka Productions' licensing division.
"Some market watchers are saying that China's economy has peaked out, citing the slumping real estate market and sluggishness in the manufacturing sector due to rising labor costs. But Chinese companies are remarkably active as far as the entertainment industry is concerned."
An increasing number of Chinese began coming to Japan to seek the rights to manga stories a few years ago. Tezuka Productions "discussed business with about 30 representatives of Chinese entertainment companies last year," said Shimizu.
Shimizu said there are also inquiries about Tezuka's more controversial works, such as "Fushigi na
Melumo" (Marvelous Melmo), a sex education story, and "MW," a comic that depicts a homosexual serial killer. Chinese content buyers are also flocking to Japanese publishers in their search for compelling stories.
Catch-up
Japan's anime industry faces a dilemma in trying to tap overseas markets. Japanese anime production companies have racked up more than 60 billion yen in sales for TV stations over the past few years, shrugging off the 2008 financial crisis. Meanwhile, overseas sales have remained below 20 billion yen. Anime aimed at adults, which airs at night in Japan and lies behind the rising domestic TV sales, is more of a niche product overseas. Hits in Japan do not always translate well.
Although Japan's manga makers are enjoying an unprecedented boom at the moment by selling the rights to their works, Shimizu is keeping a watchful eye on the industry.
"The copyright [sales] business may work for some time, but I'm pretty worried that the number of talented overseas creators may grow," Shimizu said. "Chinese creators are rapidly catching up with their Japanese rivals by learning about settings and storylines based on Japanese originals. One hundred percent Chinese entertainment content may become a hit in Japan sometime soon."
Source: Akira Kobayashi, Nikkei
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Chinese films win big at 40th Montreal World Film Festival
(Global Times) Starring Crystal Liu, Liu Ye, Yu Shaoqun and Leon Lai, Chinese-French co-production Night Peacock was awarded first prize at the Special Chinese Film Festival at the 40th Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF) on Tuesday, while When Larry Met Mary, directed by actor-director Wen Zhang won second prize.
Additionally, Chinese actor-director Yu Lan won the Bronze Zenith for the First Fiction Feature Film for her work If You Were Here.
Directed by French-Chinese director Dai Sijie, Night Peacock, which focuses on a romance between a French-Chinese girl and several men, is his latest work. His 2002 film The Little Chinese Seamstress starring Zhou Xun and Chen Kun was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 60th Golden Globe Awards.
The film also marked the first time Crystal Liu, Night Peacock’s leading actress, has entered the Best Actress shortlist at a high-profile international film festival. Although she did not win the award, Liu was present at Tuesday’s closing ceremony as an award presenter at the invitation of MWFF President Serge Losique.
Regarded as one of the world’s five most important film events along with the Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Karlovy Vary film festivals, MWFF, which tends to focus more on art films, is held from late August to early September annually in Montreal, Canada.
Since the festival’s establishment in 1977, Chinese films such as 1986's Big Parade by Chen Kaige and 1999's Postmen in the Mountains by Huo Jianqi have also won awards at MWFF.
Source: Global Times
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Taiwan director brings Myanmar migrants' plight into focus at Venice Film Festival
Zhao's "The Road to Mandalay", which premiered here on Sept. 5, would compete at Venice Days, an independent event devoted to high quality cinema taking place alongside the main competition since 2004.
The Chinese-language movie narrated the struggle of Lianqing and Guo, respectively played by Taiwanese actress Wu Ke-Xi and actor Kai Ko, who travelled illegally from Myanmar to Thailand.
Both young, and in search of a better life, they would become illegal migrant workers in Bangkok, and an almost unspoken love would slowly grow between them.
Yet, the approach with which the two characters face the hardship of their situation, build their expectations, and imagine their future, would gradually diverge up to reaching a surprising and dramatic end.
Dealing with such a sensitive and actual phenomenon, the Chinese-Burmese director wanted the story of Lianqing and Guo to stick to reality as much as possible.
"Since I started working on this story in 2009, I wrote some 10 versions of the script," Midi Zhao told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "I interviewed about one hundred Burmese illegal migrants
working in Thailand, and adapted the script according to their testimonies, to put details of their life in the movie."
On the other hand, the story was already very familiar to the director. Zhao explained that this story belongs to his own family's experience.
"My older sister went through the same path as the movie's female character," he added, and the same was for so many other families in Myanmar.
"The Road to Mandalay" provided the audience with a strong female protagonist, and not by chance. Zhao said the character of Lianqing was based on his sister's personality.
"Usually, in the Chinese tradition, men are those who go out, or abroad, to make a living for their family," he said. "Yet, in my hometown (in Myanmar), many men were drug-addicted, so it took to women like my mother or my sister bear that responsibility."
That was why his sister's image kept surfacing while the script was being written. "She was "tough", made money, and eventually allowed me to move from Myanmar... but in a safe way, and for studying," the director explained.
The Taiwanese actress spent a year living in a Burmese village, and working in a factory in Bangkok, to get herself into the role of this determined, yet gentle, young woman.
"The most important thing was to empathize: that is, to really realize how the life of illegal migrant workers is, and how they feel," Wu told Xinhua.
The second major task for her was to lower the dramatic performance.
"Midi asked me to be as much natural as I could. The female protagonist is like many other women in Asia: they are strong, but soft at the same time," Wu added.
"They carry a lot of responsibilities for their family, and bear discrimination and humiliation without cracking up."
Asked whether his movie might increase awareness on illegal migrant workers' struggle in Asia, the director gave a mixed response.
"In Asia, as well as in Europe, authorities worry about this issue, but since many countries in Southeast Asia are still developing, governments also have other big problems to tackle," he said.
"Life is complicate, and there are many factors artists do not know well. As such, the only thing we can do is to express what we see in the society, spread it out, and try to explain."
"Watching a movie, however, someone might be touched, and empathize: in such a way, the movie might influence the way people look at this issue," Zhao concluded.
Source: Xinhua
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