Headlines from China: Huayi Brothers Movie World Officially Opens in Suzhou

Huayi Brothers Movie World Opens in Suzhou On July 22 

On July 22, Huayi Brothers’ first theme park officially opened in Suzhou, China. The Suzhou theme park took Huayi Brothers six years and 350 million yuan ($51.5 million) to build. “The opening of Huayi Brothers Movie World is a milestone for the company as well as for the Chinese tourism industry,” says Huayi Brothers CEO Wang Zhongjun. Similar to western movie theme parks, such as Disneyland, Huayi Brothers Movie World includes various sections designed with inspirations from movies produced by Huayi. In addition, it includes attractions and rides that can be seen at a traditional amusement park. Located in the central area of Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, Suzhou is highly saturated with various amusement parks. It remains to be seen how profitable Huayi Brothers Movie World can become. Read more on ifeng.com 

TOP 50 Young Directors in China 

Young filmmakers are becoming an increasingly important driving force behind the development of Chinese film industry. Several recent box office hits, such as Dying to Survive, How Long Will I Love You and The Ex-files 3: The Return of the Exes, are all directed by young filmmakers. Recently, WeChat media account yiqipaidianying released the Top 50 Young Chinese Directors list, with Wen Muye (Dying to Survive), Song Yang/Zhang Chiyi (Never Say Die), and Tian Yusheng (The Ex-files) being in the top 3. The list has taken into account each filmmaker’s birth year (after 1980), box office performance and reviews of previous works, and upcoming projects. Films made by the listed filmmakers represent a wide range of genres and styles, indicating that there is room for different types of filmmakers to grow and succeed in the China market. Read more on yiqipaidianying 

Why Local Visual Effects Companies Struggle

In recent years, an increasing number of big-budget local films employ special effects. In addition, more and more internet movies and tv series also start adding special effects in their post-productions. There is no doubt that the demand for visual effects services is increasing in the Chinese market. However, many local visual effects companies are unhappy with the current state of the sector. Due to lack of regulations and protection from the authorities, local visual effect companies have no control over a film’s post-production schedule. Often times, a film’s original footage is delivered behind the schedule, which disrupts a visual effects studio’s operation and leaves insufficient time to deliver quality work. What’s more, local VFX studios have no advantage in competing with foreign studios, as some foreign governments provide support and subsidy to their visual effects sectors while the Chinese government doesn’t. Read more on Entertainment Capital