SIFF COVID-19 Forum

The 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) opened last Saturday, as the latest sign of a slow recovery of the movie industry. Five filmmakers including the IDFA competition winning director Fan Jian, shared their filming experiences from then COVID-19 hot spot Wuhan city.

Fan Jian, who directed ‘The Lost Spring: Survival and Revival of the Wuhan People’, instead of shot at the forefront of fighting the deadly virus, chose stories from a Wuhan residential area. He added that he wanted to take a step back from the life and death stories, but focus on the community holding together during the crisis.

 Documentary WUHAN DIARY Launched by Weibo & CCTV

On July 29, CCTV News and Weibo together launched a documentary named WUHAN DIARY. The film is composed of a vast number ofnews materials and short videos made by Weibo users who were living in the COVID19 epicenter Wuhan city, showing the authentic stories during the citywide lock-down.The film pays tribute to frontline and essential workers involved in the fight against the COVID-19 virus.

 HKIFF44 Unveils Original Line-up，and Competition will Continue

The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) unveiled some of the highlights of its original programme for the HKIFF44, including the three world premieres. HKIFFS, already been canceled, also confirms that this year’s Firebird Awards competitions will proceed with online judging, with plans to announce the winners on 20 August.

HKIFF44 was due to kick off with the world premiere of two exceptional works: KEEP ROLLING, an intimate documentary on the revered Hong Kong filmmaker Ann HUI, the recipient of a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at this year’s Venice Film Festival, and Joseph Hsu’s Little Big Women, a heartrending family drama featuring an ensemble cast of prominent Taiwanese actresses. The third world premiere, THE CORNERED MOUSE DREAMS OF CHEESE, an empathetic adaptation of a popular anime series by the acclaimed Japanese director YUKISADA Isao,was to close the festival.

Wanda Film Releases Expansion Plan

 China's largest movie theater chain, Wanda Film plans to build 162 new movie theaters over the next three years, as the listed company's application for non-public share issuance was approved by the Issuance and Review Committee of China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). The expansion plan would bring Wanda Films over 2.2 billion yuan in net profit. However，its first half revenue took a hit from the pandemics, dropping more than 74%. 

 Documentary about 2019 PRC’s 70th Anniversary Released on August 1 

A documentary named THE GRAND PARADE, which is a record of the military parade held on October 1, 2019 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, is released on August 1 - China's Army Day. The film is produced by August First Film Studio, with a total length of approximately 58 minutes.Focusing on the National Day theme, the film reflects the great achievements of China's national defense and military modernization.