Focus on International Vision, Discuss Exchanges and Cooperation
The Film Power Forum on International Cooperation - Cultural Exchange with Films of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) was held on the afternoon of April 24 (Monday) at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center. The event was hosted by the BJIFF Organizing Committee and co-organized by the China National Film Museum and the China Film Association.
Group photo on site of “Film Power Forum on International Cooperation -
Cultural Exchange with Films”
Present at the forum were Xu Hejian, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Director of the Information Office of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality and member of the 13th BJIFF Organizing Committee, Cao Jun, member of the Branch Party Leadership Group, Deputy Secretary-General and Second-level Inspector of the China Film Association, and Chen Ling, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the China National Film Museum. Lan Yu, TV hostess of China Movie Channel (CCTV-6), acted as the moderator. Panelists present included Frédéric Auburtin, French film director and screenwriter, Chen Sicheng, famous Chinese director and executive producer, Jimmy Chin, documentary director and producer in the United States, Huang Jianxin, famous Chinese director and executive producer, Hu Zhifeng, professor and doctoral supervisor at Beijing Film Academy, and director of the Academic Committee of Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, Ivan I. Tverdovskiy, Russian film director and screenwriter, Wang Zhonglei, Co-founder, Vice Chairman and CEO of Huayi Brothers Media Corp., Yang Xianghua, President of Membership and Overseas Business Group of iQIYI, Inc., Yin Hong, professor of the School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University and Vice-Chairman of the China Film Association, and Gillian Zhao, President of Warner Bros. Discovery in China.
When delivering a speech, Xu Hejian mentioned that film, as a pioneer of mutual cultural trust, provides a key platform and broad space for cultural exchanges, and creates the potential and opportunities for communication and conversations during the collision and integration of local cultures in different countries. Particularly, in the increasingly frequent and diversified cultural exchanges, film plays a unique role in establishing the international communication discourse system of Chinese culture, and has become a cultural messenger for exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations.
Xu Hejian
Cao Jun said in his speech that Chinese filmmakers should work together to connect China with the world in the new era, bringing the looks of the world to Chinese audiences, and also telling the stories of China to the world through cultural exchanges with films.
Cao Jun
Chen Ling noted that film, as a common art form of mankind, is a key carrier for exchanges among people all over the world, full of cultural power and attraction. As a key part of the cultural cause and cultural industry, film is becoming an important medium for China to participate in the process of globalization and exert its international influence.
Chen Ling
Frédéric Auburtin believed that the consensus of global filmmakers is to find good stories, and reach as many viewers as possible through scripts and stories, which is the goal of films.
Frédéric Auburtin
Chen Sicheng stated that with so much experience in international cooperation he and his team have accumulated, he deeply feels that filming does not simply mean finishing the job, but also requires the profound understanding of local cultures and customs and learning from local filmmakers. After shooting each time, his knowledge about a place will substantially change. “Reading ten thousand books, traveling ten thousand miles, and shooting several films” are truly important reflections on life for him.
Chen Sicheng
Jimmy Chin excitedly showcased photos of himself as a professional climber and skier to the audience and other panelists. He added that this is his first time to attend the BJIFF, where he can see the development and challenges of film from different perspectives. Creating films is full of passion, and film is the best way of gathering people regardless of countries and regions.
Jimmy Chin
Huang Jianxin said that as the international situation is currently undergoing a lot of confusion and challenges, film with the cultural power is a suitable way of in-depth communication through the visual language. He believed that the film cooperation among filmmakers should be always equal and barrier-free, and it is this power and pursuit that promotes the exchange and cooperation on film among various countries.
Huang Jianxin
Hu Zhifeng pointed out that film is intuitive, vivid, profound and irreplaceable, and can touch people’s hearts. Shooting an excellent film is the common will of global filmmakers. Film cooperation is the common aspiration and vision of filmmakers, and we expect global filmmakers to promote the cultural exchange with films.
Hu Zhifeng
Ivan I. Tverdovskiy said that he is very bullish on the cooperation between Russia and China due to a solid foundation. With shared values, he hopes that filmmakers between the two countries should join hands to create a better future for films.
Ivan I. Tverdovskiy
Wang Zhonglei noted that with the change and development of market and economy, co-productions have changed and are currently facing new challenges and a new situation. While learning successful experiences from past collaborations, we should also better communicate and cooperate with world-leading film production companies to promote Chinese culture and concepts worldwide.
Wang Zhonglei
Yang Xianghua stressed that iQIYI has three missions as a streaming media platform, namely introducing many excellent overseas films, bringing Chinese films to overseas viewers, and launching more domestic and overseas co-production projects.
Yang Xianghua
Yin Hong said that filmmakers should open the door of film even wider, further enhance the cooperation on film creation, market, production and distribution, and jointly expand the international film market, thus eventually achieve cultural exchanges.
Yin Hong
Gillian Zhao stated that there are a lot of opportunities in the Chinese market, which should not be missed. Warner Bros. has been dedicated to China and attaches great importance to the Chinese market. As China is growing from a big film producer to a film power, Warner Bros. will continuously strengthen content cooperation and talent training, and help Chinese stories go global.
Gillian Zhao
The Film Power Forum on International Cooperation - Cultural Exchange with Films, which features rich contents, broad perspectives and novel ideas, has deeply discussed the international cooperation on films through exchanges among domestic and overseas filmmakers. Panelists are confident about the international cooperation on films in the future, and firmly believe that the film industry will be able to open a new chapter in the changing situation, reach new heights, and create a better future.