Headlines from China: A Look at 2019 Chinese New Year Films

A Look at 2019 Chinese New Year Films

As of this writing, 16 films have been scheduled to release during the 2019 Chinese New Year. Among them, most are comedies and animated films. Usually, homegrown science fiction movies are rarely seen in the China market. This Chinese New Year slate, however, includes two local science fictions. WeChat media account “dumou” (毒眸) predicted that these 16 films will generated about RMB 7.5 billion during the weeklong holiday. According to data from online ticketing platform Maoyan, the most anticipated film is Ning Hao’s Crazy Aliens. Stephen Chow’s The New King of Comedy is only ranked No. 4 in terms of audience anticipation. No. 2 and No. 3 on the list are Han Han’s Pegasus and science fiction film The Wandering Earth. Read more on entgroup.cn

Zhang Yimou’s ‘One Second’ Enters Berlinale Official Lineup

One Second, the latest film by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, has been selected into the main competition section of the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival, according to sources familiar with the matter. In addition, romantic drama Better Days, which is directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Tsang and stars Zhou Dongyu and Jackson(易烊千玺), has been selected into the “Generation” section along with two other Chinese films The Crossing and A First Farewell. One Second is Zhang Yimou’s first film after he entered a three-movie deal with Huanxi Media Group. Read more on Mtime

Documentary about Chinese Startups Opens in Theater

Startups, a documentary featuring some of the major startup companies emerged in China over the past  few years, opens in theater today. Set in today’s China where the IT sector is rapidly growing and constantly changing, the film follows 14 startup founders’ journeys of building and growing new businesses. Thanks to some of the high-profile subjects, the film generated interest and buzz since its development phase. Many Chinese entrepreneurs who have previewed the film strongly resonate with the vivid diction of the roller-coaster-like experiences in the film. Read more on 1905.com