Numerous Indices at Record Highs to Boost Continued Industrial Development--The 7th BJIFF-Film Market Ends with a Resounding Success

　　The 7th Beijing International Film Festival-Film Market ended with a resounding success in Beijing International Hotel on 21, April. The three-day Film Market covered all aspects of the film industry, from market status, the exhibition of related enterprises in film industry to the promotion of specific projects. Practitioners in various sectors of the industry chain can harvest from BJIFF-Film Market.

　　In recent years, the rapid development of China’ film market and the favor of film industry by off-trade capital filmmakers fix the eyes of worldwide filmmakers upon the development of oriental films. Meanwhile, the demand for film transaction platform within the industry is also increasingly strong. Founded in 2011, BJIFF renamed “Film Negotiation” as “Film Market” and gradually refined into “Film Factor Market” and “Project Pitches Transaction Platform”. Five sectors including Exhibition, Project Pitches, Industry Conversation, Events&Activities and Contract Signing Ceremony were set up. Centered on the subject of “exhibition, recommendation, communication, transaction”, BJIFF built a continuous and integrated service platform. And through the full promotion of the number and quality of exhibitors, it has gradually formed a film market system with its own characteristics.

　　After years of continuous development, BJIFF-Film Market has become the most active international film trading platform in Asia. In this year, the contracts signed in Film Market hit a new record to RMB 17.458 billion. China’s film industry is in a good period of great development and prosperity. The 7th  BJIFF-Film Market has provided Chinese films with more fresh blood and resources of high quality, and has added the film color of  Chinese characteristics in the development of the world’s films.

　　Exhibition: keeping rapid growth level while expanding depth and width.

　　Since the establishment of BJIFF-Film Market, Exhibition is one of the sectors focusing on the communication and development of the film industry. According to statistics, BJIFF-Film Market has attracted a total of 257 domestic and foreign film companies and institutions for registration, including 74 international exhibitors from America, Germany, Italy, Australia, Israel, Canada, Spain and other countries. Finally, 190 domestic and foreign film companies and institutions were drawn into Film Market. In order to meet the requirements of exhibitors, the exhibition of this Film Market has replanned the booths and expanded the exhibition area. Meanwhile, it strengthened the efforts to overseas exhibition and pointedly invited key exhibitors in home and abroad which develop new technician of films and explore new models of marketing to conduct concentrated promotion and exhibition.

　　According to statistics, participants in the current Film Market have reach 30,000 persons. From the exhibitor category, the production companies were still predominant, with a percentage of 37. Companies of copyright sale and agencies presented an increasing trend of 11%. In addition, companies of film technology and film technician accounted for 10%; publicity and marketing enterprises and institutions accounted for about 7%; distribution companies accounted for 6%; legal services and financial institutions accounted for 3 % while the remaining accounted for 23%.

　　It is worth mentioning that Exhibition in this year has expanded largely both in width and depth. In width, the Exhibition has initially achieved the coverage of full industrial chain, which is reflected in various links of the chain including investment and financing, film making, marketing, screening, post production, copyright derivative and related legal assistance. In depth, script planning, artist management, construction of special effect, feedback of test screening and vertical and subdivided fields in the industry have been permeated. It is easy to see that BJIFF-Film Market adheres to the original intention to improve the level of domestic film making, draw on the advanced experience abroad and consistently move forward in the exploration.

　　Project Pitches: scaling up support while introducing sponsorship awards

　　As an incubator of film projects, Project Pitches is committed to promoting domestic films and training young filmmakers. Each year, this section will filter dozens of high-quality projects and provide them with opportunities to face investors, producers, distributors, and even marketers and related media. For young creative groups who are lack of qualifications and funds, BJIFF-Film Market has become an important stage for their display of talent.

　　This year, Project Pitches of Film Market has collected a total of 712 film projects, with a growth of 5.6% compared with the previous one in entire scale. Among them, projects applied by new studios which are established by the generation after 80s or 90s added up to 246, accounting for 34.6%. What’s more, more than 60% of the projects have raised a certain amount of fund for project development and shooting. Among the projects, the number of romance was up to 195 and accounted for more than a quarter of the total, which ranked first. Next was comedy. The number was 168 and accounted for 23.6%. It is worth mentioning that the projects of suspense category significantly increased to 135 and has been the third largest, accounting for 19%. Action projects was up to 89, accounting for 12.5%; while sci-f i & fantasy projects was up to 75, accounting for 10.5%.

　　The current Project Pitches of Film Market increased support on the previous basis. In addition to the four awards, sponsorship award was introduced. It will work together with domestic and foreign film institutions to support young filmmakers and help them into international market.

　　The jury for the final round selection of Project Pitches was composed of famous screenwriter He Jiping renowned director Li Yang and senior producer Tao Kun. Experienced insiders He Yunming and Qin Haiyan went all out to help as pitch trainers for the 10 groups of projects which entered the final selection. The two trainers examined the creation of plots, advised on project development and taught negotiation skills, providing substantial professional help for “emerging” projects and young filmmakers. This was such a rare opportunity.

　　After the roadshow and Q&A sessions in the finals of Project Pitches on April 19, the Organizing Committee presented the “Special Award” to the project Forest of Tumor, which elaborates on the human struggle between pollution and profit making from a unique perspective. The Tower of Terror, No Killing, Cosplay won the “Best Business Potential Award,” “Best Original Screenplay Award” and “Best Creativity Award” respectively. Among them, Cosplay and Forest of Tumor also won the “Overseas Promotion Award” presented by the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival.

　　Industry Conversations: thinking calmly, focus on plots, returning to rationality

　　In the past seven years, the total box-office revenue of the Chinese film market has achieved rapid progress with a growth rate of 663% and with the increasing number of screens and the constantly rising box-office revenue, the audience are becoming more and more enthusiastic. In 2016, however, the slowdown of the growth of box-office revenue gave a blow to many people’s confidence inside and outside the industry. Under the impact of the slowdown, the 7th Beijing International Film Festival provided an opportunity for those involved in this industry to think calmly and rationally.

　　The Industry Conversations of Film Market this year was designed to consist of four forums about the current status and future trend of the film industry. Gathering thoughts and creative ideas from both Chinese and foreign filmmakers, the forums featured distinct views and all participants showed a sincere attitude, putting forward suggestions for the development of the Chinese film industry. The forums covered all aspects that concern filmmakers, including the new situation of the film market, the innovation and integration of genre films, web movies and emerging trends in Chinese film industry’s value chain, the art and science of film and other themes.

　　On the forum titled “Integration Breakthrough Competition--the New Situation of Film Market”, organized by Entgroup, many people involved in film-making admitted frankly that “Story-telling is the core of films” and the Chinese film industry should return to rationality and concentrate more on stories after experiencing the box-office bubbles last year.

　　Events & Activities: focusing on hot topics and following the development trends closely

　　Every year, the Events & Activities of Film Market focuses on the hot topics within the industry and closely follows the current development status and trends of the industry, playing an important role in promoting internal driving forces for the film industry. Following the standards of other internationally renowned film festivals, this year’s Events & Activities met the demand of domestic and foreign film institutions and companies to promote their own brands, business and projects; at the same time, it also integrated industry resources actively to provide diverse solutions, covering project roadshows, corporate announcements and salons and served as a platform of in-depth market development and cooperation for all participants.

　　During the Events & Activities in previous years, topics like capital, Internet+, IP, new film forces and the co-production mode were platitudes, but with the rapid development of the film industry, the same topics featured new footholds and spread out in new directions this year. On this basis, the development of network films and webcasts, the wave of paid knowledge, the cost analysis of visual effects and other new topics were also key points discussed by experts during the Events & Activities of Film Market this year.

　　On the forum titled  “Heroes Ignore Sources —— The Chinese New Directors Come from Different Background,” senior filmmaker Manfred Wong offered encouragement to the new forces of the Chinese film industry. In his opinion, young Chinese film directors should cherish and make rational use of the  current good environment filled with opportunities. Yu Jianhong, vice principal of the Beijing Film Academy, also believes that there are many paths for the growth of talented filmmakers, but after all, new directors should be given the opportunity to participate in the processes of the film industry so that they can understand film and integrate themselves with it.

　　Contact Signing Ceremony: contract signing reaches an all-time high with types of projects increasing

　　As one of the most important sections of Film Market, the Contract Signing Ceremony attracts enormous attention, boosts the industry morale, provides opportunities for industry insiders to communicate and exchange ideas and serves as a high-quality platform for cross-industry cooperation and resource integration for the film industry through releasing a series of hotly sought-after films and major projects and collaborations conducted by related companies. 

　　On the Contract Signing Ceremony held on April 21, cooperation agreements were reached between a large number of high-quality emerging projects and leading enterprises and institutions. Dadi Cinema acquired OSGH Cinemas; Wanda Cinemas invested in 12 films including The Victors and Evil Minds; the Beijing Culture invested in the film The Trilogy of Deification; Poly Film acquired 100% stake in Xingx Entertainment... According to statistics, a total of 56 key projects conducted by 108 companies were successfully signed on the Contract Signing Ceremony this year and the total amount reached RMB 17.458, with a year-on-year increase of 6.9%.

　　It can be seen from the types of the projects signed on the Contract Signing Ceremony that the projects signed during the Beijing International Film Festival- Film Market are becoming diverse instead of film projects alone. Besides traditional film projects, film funding projects and film construction projects are emerging.

　　As the section most closely connected with the industry insiders, the influence of Film Market, to some extent, represents the influence of the entire Beijing International Film Festival. Today, Film Market has become a “signature” of the Beijing International Film Festival because it is making constant progress in gathering industry resources, promoting industrial upgrade, consolidating the foundation for development and cultivating new talents.

　　In the future, the Beijing International Film Festival-Film Market will continue to take advantage of the geography, culture and policy of the capital city to build an exchange platform for the film industry, create a colorful and orderly market environment, make efforts to discover and help young filmmakers, enhance the overseas influence of Chinese films and help the film industry grow healthily and sustainably through five types of activities including Exhibitions, Project Pitches, Industry Conversations, Events & Activities and Contract Signing Ceremony. 

Released on:April 23，2017