A still from the film Operation Red Sea. [Photo/mtime.com]

A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for dedication, effort, and innovation from filmmakers to develop China into "a country with a strong film industry".

Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a symposium on filmmaking held in Beijing on Friday.

Huang said filmmakers should have more cultural confidence and take a people-centered approach to meet people's needs for a better life.

Huang encouraged the improvement of the realistic genre of filmmaking and the building of a team of filmmakers with good professional skills and morality.

The international influence of Chinese films should be strengthened, he said.

China has the world's second largest film market, with box office sales of more than 55.9 billion yuan (about $8.9 billion) in 2017.