Opportunities and challenges for the Chinese film industry in the 'new era'

Posters for the film Never Say Die [Photo/Mtime]

Films should be closer to life

"The Chinese film industry is now undergoing a transformation and upgrading stage. In the process, some problems emerge and wait to be addressed. For example, films should not be judged by awards in international film festivals but by whether they meet the people's ever-growing need for a better life," said Zhao Baohua, vice-chairman of the China Film and Literature Association.

"The Chinese film industry has closely followed the steps of its Western counterparts for such a long period. Now, it is high time that Chinese filmmakers make some changes. Many aspects of traditional culture and customs have not been well-explored and put into the big screen. Expressions of Chinese feelings and emotions and reflections of traditions are still not shared as much in present film presentation," said Liu Jun, director of the Teaching and Research Department of the Beijing Film Academy.

"Several days ago, my mother told me that she wanted to go to the movies these days, but was at a loss to choose a film. That's a problem I would like to address here," said Ling Yan, dean of the Film and Television Department of Capital Normal University.

"Different groups have different tastes for movies. Young people are no doubt the mainstream for Chinese films in terms of purchasing power, but other groups should not be ignored. If the Chinese film industry wants to perform better in the future, other potential purchasing power should be considered."