The Opening Reception for Beijing Film Market of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival — “Night of the Bank of Beijing” and Honorary Selection of Chinese Film Industry was held in Beijing in the evening of September 22, 2021. The event was hosted by the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), co-hosted by China Film Fund, Beijing Culture Industry Investment and Financing Association, and organized by Online Film Market Co., Ltd. while the Bank of Beijing was designated as the Official Exclusive Financial Institution Partner.

 

Leaders, guests, and representatives from film enterprises, such as Zhang Pimin, Chairman of the China Film Fund, Zhou Maofei, Secretary of Party Committee and President of Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group Co., Ltd., Xu Bo, Chairman of China Culture Industry Investment Fund of Funds Management Co., Ltd., Rao Shuguang, President of the China Film Critics Association, Yu Jianhong, Vice President of Beijing Film Academy, Dai Wei, Assistant to the President of Bank of Beijing and Corporate Business Director, Cui Yan, Director of the BJIFF Operation Center of Beijing Radio & Television Station, Cai Min, Executive Deputy General Manager of Beijing Cultural Investment Holdings, and Chairman and General Manager of Sparkle Roll Media, and Zhu Yuqing, Founder of the Online Film Market Co., Ltd., were present.

 

The Beijing Film Market Advisory Board appeared first. In order to listen to the voices of the industry more widely, cooperate in planning conversational topics and activities pertinent to the market, gather more industry resources and explore new cooperation possibilities, make the Beijing Market of BJIFF the first choice for enterprises and filmmakers to showcase themselves, and truly achieve the common growth of enterprises and the market, the Beijing Film Market invited the heads of major film & TV enterprises based in Beijing as well as emerging film & TV enterprises with development potential, and established the advisory board, which consists of: Zhang Haiyan, Director and General Manager of China Film South Cinema Circuit Co., Ltd., Chairman and General Manager of Zhujiang Film & Media Corporation Limited, Cai Min, Executive Deputy General Manager of Beijing Cultural Investment Holdings Co., and Chairman and General Manager of Sparkle Roll Media, Tang Bohui, General Manager of Poly Film Production and Distribution Center, Lin Quan, Vice President and Director of Business Development Department, CMC Pictures, Wang Dan, Director of Industry Research, Film Art Center of CFLAC, Chief of Forums and Project Pitches of the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, Gao Rui, Co-founder and COO of Yingmei Media, and Zheng Daosen, Founder of All About Entertainment Capital.

 

The Honorary Selection of Chinese Film Industry aims to recognize and commend heroes behind the scenes and the backbone that have promoted the development of China's film industry of the year. An expert committee co-founded by the Organizing Committee of the BJIFF, and made up of scholars and experts from prestigious entities, such as China Film Fund, China Film Producers’ Association, China Film Distribution & Exhibition Association, China Film Critics Association, Beijing Culture Industry Investment and Financing Association, and Beijing Film Academy, developed objective, impartial and professional criteria and principles, conducted thorough discussions based on the Report on Development of China Film Investment and Financing, and data sourced from well-established entities, and selected winners of the Financing Enterprise of the Year, the Investment Enterprise of the Year, the Production Enterprise of the Year, the Marketing Enterprise of the Year, the Distribution Enterprise of the Year, and the Cinema Enterprise of the Year, honors of which highlighted professionalism, authority, cohesion and influence.

 

According to Zhang Pimin, Chairman of the Expert Committee of this edition of Honorary Selection of Chinese Film Industry, despite the impacts of the COVID-19 over the past two years, there are many heroes behind the scenes and major players of the industry that overcame difficulties, continued to release masterpieces, and contributed to the construction of a cultural power. They deserve the attention and recognition of the industry. Senior experts in the industry, including Zhou Maofei, Rao Shuguang, Yu Jianhong, and Xu Bo, together with actresses, including Ma Su, Zhang Li, Yuan Shanshan, Li Fei’er, Dai Lele and Clara Lee, presented honors to representatives from winning enterprises.

 

 

Zhang Pimin, Chairman of the Expert Committee of Honorary Selection of Chinese Film Industry

 

Duan Hongli thanked the Organizing Committee and the jury for the recognition of the Bank of Beijing Co., Ltd., and expressed the will to embrace new opportunities and open a new chapter in collaboration with film & TV enterprises and makers so as to consolidate the development of the film & TV industry, tell Chinese stories, and contribute financial force to the construction of a film & TV power.

 

The Alibaba Pictures won the title of the Investment Enterprise of the Year. Since the reopening of the film industry in 2020, the enterprise has given full play to its strengths in online platform, funding and resources, and continued to empower the industry. It invested a majority of the top 20 grossing Chinese films of 2020, and made prominent contribution to the recovery of Chinese films from the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

In her acceptance speech, Chen Xiaohua indicated that as an Internet-based film enterprise driven by content and technologies, the company has upheld the content strategy that combines content, ordinary individuals, upbeat spirit and sublime sentiments, and coupled with technological empowerment driven by science and technologies. It wishes to join hands with filmmakers and create more popular outstanding works.

 

Huayi Brothers Media Corp. was named the Production Enterprise of the Year for The Eight Hundred. After the film industry was shut down for half a year, the enterprise released The Eight Hundred with extraordinary courage, boosted the confidence and morale of the film industry in the early reopening, and showcased its confidence, strength and resolution of comeback to the industry and audience.

 

According to Wang Zhonglei (James Wang), the COVID-19 outbreak stroke a heavy blow against the film industry in 2020. Huayi Brothers had the opportunity to be the pioneer in August last year with so many excellent films, and attained remarkable box office. The honor is harder than ever. The enterprise will transform the heavy honor into momentum forward, work on content, and live up to expectations.

 

The Beijing Blue Sky Black Horse Culture Media Co., Ltd. won the honor of the Marketing Enterprise of the Year. The company was engaged in marketing and publicity of various hit films, such as Wolf Warrior II, Detective Chinatown 2 and Detective Chinatown 3. By shifting film marketing from traditional offline scenes to mobile Internet, and precision marketing, the young team became a real dark horse in the film marketing community.

 

In his acceptance speech, Zhou Baolin explained that as a state-owned enterprise covering the complete industrial chain, the China Film Co., Ltd.  specializes in six major sections, namely creation, distribution, screening, service, technology and innovation. The company needs to make constant innovation in the already leading section of distribution, and forges ahead to contribute to the construction of a film power.

 

The Wanda Film Holding Co., Ltd. won the honor of the Cinema Enterprise of the Year. In the difficult year for the film industry, Wanda innovated the new mode of online services and actively promoted the resumption of work and production after the outbreak. In particular, it launched thematic film screening activities such as “Polishing the Medal, Paying Tribute to Heroes” for major films such as The Sacrifice and My People, My Homeland, and fought on the front line of the film industry against the pandemic. At the same time, it has implemented scientific, standardized and uniform management of screening in cinemas, and ensured first-class movie-going experience of the audience. The company took the lead in 2020 regarding key indicators, such as the number of new cinemas, screens, and attendance rate in particular.

 

According to Zeng Maojun, as the largest circuit enterprise in China’s film industry, Wanda has been committed to improving movie-going experience of the audience, and it looks forward to working closely with the whole industry to output good content and serve the moviegoers.

 

Build up on legacy, and forge ahead. The Honorary Selection of Chinese Film Industry aimed to acclaim the backbone of the film industry, boost the confidence of domestic filmmakers, and help the prosperous development of Chinese films.