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Each of the highest-grossing blockbusters from 2016 to this year has been a homegrown work, including Wu Jing's Wolf Warrior II(2017). |
From a sustained expansion between 2016 and 2019 to the promising recovery in the wake of COVID-19 this year, the Chinese film industry has demonstrated a strong vitality, with the country recently becoming the world's largest movie market in terms of box-office sales.
In spite of an abrupt halt caused by the epidemic, since Chinese cinemas reopened on July 20, this year's movie-ticket revenue has reached 14.28 billion yuan ($2.13billion) as of Oct 28, exceeding that of North America and securing China's status as the world's largest movie market since mid-October, according to movie-information tracker Beacon.
Most industry insiders contacted by China Daily say the Chinese film industry is recovering better and faster than they had estimated, thanks to the country's efficient control of COVID-19.
Jia Zhangke, one of China's most internationally acclaimed directors, says: "Over the last five years, China's annual film production has gradually increased, and the yearly box-office take has seen considerable growth from 2016 to 2019. As a sizable market, China is now very attractive to filmmakers and distributors across the world."
Statistics from the China Film Administration, the country's top sector regulator, show that China grossed 64.3 billion yuan in 2019, up 40 percent compared with 45.7 billion yuan in 2016.
According to the administration, China produced 772 feature-length dramas in 2016, with the total output increasing to 798 features in 2017 and 902 in 2018.
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The 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week opens at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok on Oct 25, 2020. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
On Oct 25, the opening ceremony of the 15th Chinese Film Festival in Bangkok and the 2020 China-Thailand Film Exchange Week was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The event was hosted by the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and received strong support from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and the Thai Ministry of Culture.
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn't impede the enthusiasm for cultural exchange between China and Thailand. This film festival uses live broadcast to present the opening ceremony and host the "China-Thailand Film Exchange and Cooperation Online Seminar". During the film festival, audiences can use the online platform of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok to watch films online, which greatly increases the global reach of the festival.
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Gu Hongxing, director of the China Cultural Center in Bangkok and China Tourism Office in Bangkok, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Gu Hongxing, director of Bangkok's China Cultural Center and China Tourism Office, said film can not only introduce one's national culture, but also reflect unique social landscapes. Film has become an important part of cultural exchange between countries and enhance mutual understanding among people around the world.
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Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Yang Xin, Chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand 45 years ago, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, economic and trade cooperation has expanded, cultural exchanges have become closer, and all-around cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Both China and Thailand have a vast film market. As a traditional project of cultural exchanges between China and Thailand, the Bangkok Chinese Film Festival has laid a solid foundation for film cooperation between the two countries for 15 years and will add new drive to the promotion of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Thailand.
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Itthiphol Kunplome, Thailand's minister of culture, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to Chinaculture.org] |
Thailand's Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome said in his speech the governments and people of Thailand and China have been in constant exchange. Cooperation in various fields has developed steadily, and the film festival is another important event to further promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The people of the two countries can promote their understanding of the cultures of both sides through films, and promote friendly relations and cooperation in other perspectives.
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