China and US partner on cinema arts classes

Peter Pau, renowned Oscar-winning cinematographer participated in the master class on cinematic artsat the BeijingFilmAcademy, April 23, 2013. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Two top film academies from China and the US have joined forces to offer master classes on the cinematic arts, dedicating to nurture the next generation of emerging film talent.

The Beijing Film Academy and the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California signed the agreement on Monday, which is the first of its kind to receive official support by the Chinese government. The project was initiated by the NAGA Film Co, a Beijing film corporation, with an investment of several million yuan.

The master classes will be held once a month, with each class running three to five days. Influential filmmakers from Hollywood and China will be invited to the classes to talk about their ideas on film, according to Sun Xin, from the Beijing Film Academy.

Peter Pau, the renowned Oscar-winning cinematographer of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," said at the opening ceremony, "I hope the cooperation between USC and BFA will open a bright future not only for Chinese cinema, but for the next generation of great filmmakers in China."

As the US partnership of the master class, the dean of USC-SCA, Elizabeth Daley, offered advice to young Chinese filmmakers. She suggested they develop stronger English skills, especially speaking skills, and also encouraged imagination. "All great films start inside the head, they start with the imagination."

At a later exclusive interview, Peter Pau told a reporter that the program will not only function as academic research, but serve more as a positive energy to the film industry.

Peter Pau strongly opposes using box office results to guage the value of a film. "Cinema is an art, which can't be measured specifically," he said, "A good film, as a universal language, has the power to inspire and touch people's hearts, there are no boundaries, no nations, no limit in religions and races."

The first taste of the master class followed on Tuesday at the Beijing Film Academy, with Peter Pau, Elizabeth Daley, famous Chinese director John Woo, and heads from BFA and the China Film Group who discussed various aspects of the film industry.

During the class, John Woo revealed that his film "Love and Let Love" starring Zhang Ziyi and Zhang Zhen, which has been on hiatus, will resume production in June of this year.

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