Headlines From China: Director Jia Zhangke Launches Shanxi Film Academy in China

Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival Special Virtual Panel “Documenting the Pandemic”

The Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival (LACFF), presented by the nonprofit organization Chinese in Entertainment, will host a special virtual panel “Documenting the Pandemic” at 7 PM PST on Friday, April 23rd.

In 2020, many documentaries and investigative reports were produced about the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. To deliver the most objective stories, many filmmakers went to the frontline of the pandemic—Hao Wu and Hao Zhou are two of them. Read more China Film Insider

Director Jia Zhangke Launches Shanxi Film Academy in China

Chinese director Jia Zhangke has formally launched his new venture: a filmmaking school in his native Shanxi staffed by some of China’s top industry talent, including helmers Ning Hao and Bi Gan. The school is Jia’s latest attempt build up the ecosystem and pipelines to foster new talent that China still sorely lacks, now that the Pingyao Intl. Film Festival that he co-founded is running on more solid ground. So far, the list of participants includes about a dozen names, a number of whom are Jia’s long-time collaborators.They are: top directors Ning Hao, Bi Gan, Li Ruijun (“Walking Past the Future,” “Fly with the Crane”) and Zhang Yibai; production designer Huo Tingxiao (“House of Flying Daggers,” “Hero”)… Read More Variety