In 2021, while the film market was gradually rebounding, more diversified cooperation modes and opportunities were emerging. The Beijing Film Market chose to restart the Market Screenings section in the year, selecting four quality Chinese films and 14 new ones from Germany, Indonesia, Norway, Argentina, France and other countries for screening open to industry insiders. It devotes itself to uncovering new artistically and commercially valuable films at home and abroad, allowing more market-ready films to be seen, and pushing them toward a broader market. River of Salvation received ringing endorsements from the selection team of the Beijing Film Market at the very beginning of the application process, and was recommended for screening. After the market screening, the producer also came to the Beijing Film Market to discuss cooperation with many industry insiders.
Ultimately, the producer recently entered into a cooperative agreement with Hugoeast Media for the overseas distribution of River of Salvation, and is now actively preparing to participate in overseas film festivals. Despite the director’s first work, River of Salvation has been refined over a long period of time, thoughtfully expressing the psychology and situation of women. Once in a blue moon, the film faces difficult issues of survival with vitality in a humorous and light-hearted manner. Along with the family storyline, the story also showcases some elements of crime, with an amazing plot reversal that can surprise the audience. The most rare thing is that the actors’ acting is quite natural and full of emotions. Both the director and the actors put a lot of effort to present multi-layered feelings and express a real life.
On March 9, the Office of National Commission for the Management of Special Funds for the Development of Film Industry released the Guidelines for the Declaration of Overseas Distribution and Copyright Sales Incentive Projects in 2022 under the National Film Development Special Fund, in which the Office will reward the film proportionally based on corresponding revenues obtained in the process of overseas distribution and screening (click here for details, and you will be directed to the link of Film Festival Release (on April 13) public account). This initiative will certainly play a positive role in the overseas promotion of River of Salvation.
We believe that River of Salvation will be successfully released overseas, delivering an excellent Chinese film to the international market.
The call for entries for the Market Screenings section of the 12th BJIFF-Beijing Film Market is now open. The selected films will participate in offline screenings and meet face-to-face with market buyers. More outstanding films are welcome to enter for the event.