Berlin, 6 July, 2021 – For the sixth year in a row the Marché du film together with the Sino-European producers association Bridging the Dragon will host on 12 and 13 July an event specifically focusing on China. In collaboration with the Chinese production and distribution company CMC Pictures, this year’s program will take a pioneer format with live broadcasting both from Cannes and Beijing as well as in the virtual space. It will comprise a series of panel discussions and the traditional one-to-one matchmaking meetings.
In times of global pandemic, the Chinese film market is still thriving and the quality of its products improving. Although the lack of overseas blockbusters has to some extent fostered the growth of local productions, filmmakers from what has become the world’s largest film market are still open to explore all kinds of new content, and opportunities for global producers have not diminished. Being familiar with this enormous landscape and catching up with its updates is as strategic as ever. For this reason, the event will invite a roster of top Chinese and European film personalities to unspool the current situation and the future of Sino-international collaboration.
The first panel on 12 July will discuss how Chinese content interacts with the international market and explore the multifaceted angles of Chinese films in the global arena, ranging from content and sales, to the exchange of talents and resources. Among the panelists Lu Yang, renowned Chinese director of Chinese hits such as A Writer’s Odyssey (€133 million Chinese b.o.), Benjamin Illos, selector for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, Gillian Zhao, President of Warner Media China, Catherine Ying, Vice President of CMC Inc., President of CMC Pictures and Pearl Studio, executive producer of films such as The Meg and the Oscar nominated Over The Moon. Catherine Ying states “There is no doubt that more and more Chinese films and talents will go global. We foresee that the collaboration between Chinese and European filmmakers will accelerate in the post-pandemic era.”
The second panel will focus on the emergence of a new generation of female-related contents and female professionals in the Chinese film industry in the context of the global women empowerment phenomenon. Celina Jade, renowned Chinese actress starring in Chinese blockbuster Wolf Warriors II (€735 million Chinese b.o.), Sandrine Brauer, veteran French producer and co-founder of Le Collectif 50/50, Yuan Yuan, scriptwriter of the 32nd Golden Rooster Award (aka China’s Oscar) Best Feature Film winner Us and Them, Yin Rouxin, director of the recent Chinese surprising success Sister (€110 million Chinese b.o), Yang Jing, founder of The ONE International Women’s Film festival, the only women’s film festival in China.
The panels will be followed by the traditional Sino-international matchmaking meetings on 13 July. The activity is open to anyone who can contribute to an exchange of contents and resources and open doors for future collaborations between the two markets. This year, for the first time, Bridging the Dragon will be also providing a consultancy platform to sales agents during the Marché du Film.
Jérome Paillard, executive director Marché du Film states “I’m very happy with the continued partnership with Bridging the Dragon who has been working with us building the China-focused events during the Marche du Film every year. As the pandemic is easing up, events like this which facilitate international collaborations are extremely important. We hope to create new opportunities for filmmakers of both industries.” Read more Bridging the Dragon
