Berlin, 21 January 2022 – For the second year in a row, China nabbed the top spot in the global box-office chart with $7.3 billions, which is more than twice of the global gross of 2020 and a further step toward per-pandemic level. But it is to be noted that this recovery was mainly driven by its domestic productions. Eight of the top 10 biggest films of the year were local, led by the record breaking war epic The Battle at Lake Changjin ($899 million), the tear-jerker comedy Hi, Mom ($822 million) and the mystery-comedy Detective Chinatown 3 ($686 million). In 2021 the contribution of domestic films to China’s box office grew from 51% in 2019 to 81%, a figure never seen before in recent years.
On the other hand, Compared to the booming past, 2021 was a tough year for foreign films in China. Co-productions and acquisition of import films have been at their lowest. Even Marvel movies – from Black Widow to Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Venom and Spider-Man: No Way Home – could not see the light of day in China.
Geopolitical tensions, Covid and growing nationalism have all contributed to the increasing isolation of the Chinese industry. Neverthless, with over 80,000 screens – twice as many as in the US – an enourmous TV and internet landscape, and a growing demand for content, this market is still strategically important, especially in perspective of a post pandemic world re-opening.
Interestingly, the weakening of relations with the US opens up new opportunities for European cinema. Compared to previous years, in 2021 the number of films imported from outside the US reached a record high of 62.5%. With more than 2.2 million tickets sold for French titles, China became the leading international market for French films, a increase of 908% in 2020, with a gross of more than $12 millions. Over $4 millions only went to Florian Zeller’s Oscar-winning film The Father, which won as Best Foreign Pictures at this year’s Golden Rooster Awards.
How this situation will change in the coming year remains unclear. But the important thing for the European and international film professionals is to keep the dialogue between the two sides alive and to stay constantly informed and ready to explore the opportunities of interaction.
French producer Franck Priot, vice president of Bridging the Dragon: “While China has being more isolated with the Covid, it also became more self-sufficient (less Hollywood movies…) and generally stronger. But the virus is not the Great Wall, and within a couple of years, the country will be again a strong partner for our companies, and also talents, locations and studios. That’s to be prepared now!”
For this purpose, the European Film Market together with the Sino-European producers association Bridging the Dragon will present again a new edition of the Sino-European Forum, the traditional programme specifically focusing on China. The event will take place online on 15th Feburary at 10:00 – 11:00 and it will feature two prominent figures from the industry: Mr. Liu Chun, General Manager of the China Film Co-production Corporation (CFCC) – the government institution in charge of film co-productions – and Mr. Wang Donghui of 7th Art Pictures, renowned Chinese producer who has touched many genres, from commercial martial arts pictures (Brotherhood of Blades) to the historical Sino-UK co-produced series Judge Pu Songling. The recent changes in the Chinese film and television regulations and what to expect in the year ahead, will be the center of the conversation between the guest speakers and the participants, who will be encouraged to actively participate by presenting their ongoing projects and putting forward questions and challenges.
Oscar winning producer Marc Baschet, chairman of the assossiation: “Bridging the Dragon is here to help all the European producers to coproduce with the Chineese producers in order to enter and penetrate this territory which is a huge market opening to us for all our audiovisual products and films. Join us to achieve this step which will bring us new business windows.”
