A total of 320 movies, 232 of which are making their China debuts, are being screened at 29 cinemas in Shanghai during the film festival.[Photo provided to China Daily]

He notes that the pandemic has caused the entire industry chain to grind to a halt. For example, companies, such as movie-theater operators, also faced stern challenges in terms of cash flow because the cinemas were closed for months.

"When the China Film Administration announced that cinemas in China can reopen on July 20, the whole industry felt like the sun was finally rising for the first time after spending a long time in the dark," he says.

However, it is still too early to talk about the post-pandemic era for the film industry as there is still much uncertainty about the situation, he adds.

In order to get people back in the theaters, Wang says, movie studios in China need to release more shows that have strong market appeal.

Huayi is already planning to do so, having prepared a diverse collection of films that will be released to cinemas nationwide by the end of this year. These productions include the widely anticipated war flick The Eight Hundred, a fantasy drama adapted from the popular video game Shi Shen Ling, as well as comedies and other mainstream feature movies.