The coproduction Where Has Time Gone. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Jia Zhangke has participated in film projects along with filmmakers from South Korea and Switzerland. The BRICS coproduction's executive producer says he feels proud to lead the project.

"It gives the Chinese audience an opportunity to discover the cinematic charms of the countries that they have limited knowledge about," says Jia, who believes Chinese theaters should not only be dominated by Hollywood blockbusters or domestic commercial cinema.

With a number of cash-rich Chinese investors and the expanding population of moviegoers, China has transformed from an "assistant's role" to become an equal collaborator or even leader in international coproductions.

Jonathan Shen, founder of the Beijing-based studio Shinework Pictures, is among the latest filmmakers to sense the transformation. Shooting for his company's new movie, The Composer, has just moved from Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, to Yan'an in Shaanxi province, to film more scenes on Tuesday.

The biopic based on the true story of Chinese musician Xian Xinghai is the first Sino-Kazakh film production that includes Kazakhfilm JSC, the country's largest studio, as the partner producer.

Shen says the Kazakh side was very excited upon hearing about the project. The movie brought top Chinese talent and advanced filming machines to Kazakhstan.