Hello, I’m Tomura.
How are you doing these days, everyone?
These days, people probably spend more time at home on holiday and watch movies on the Internet.

By the way…
Suddenly, have you seen any Chinese movies lately?
There are surprisingly few opportunities to see Chinese films.
There doesn’t seem to be much information coming in either.

However, the recent rapid progress of the Chinese film industry is amazing. It’s close to Hollywood, the home of movies.
Movie theaters have also skyrocketed in the last few years.
The number of screens in Japan is about 3,500, while in China there are about 48,000.
Furthermore, the annual box office revenue is an order of magnitude higher than that of Japanese films.
While the annual box office revenue in the Japanese film market is flat at around 250 billion yen, China has already surpassed 1 trillion yen!
Incidentally, the U.S. is the world’s highest-grossing country at the annual box office, but it is about 1.2 trillion yen.
Chinese films are overtaking Hollywood.
I think it can be said that China, along with the United States, is the best film kingdom on earth.

The Chinese film industry continues to make such strides.
As a member of the Japan-China Film Festival Executive Committee, I would like to introduce some of the “masterpieces in the history of Chinese cinema,” which became the foundation of the festival’s breakthrough.

Shaolin Temple” (1982), which caused a boom in Japan.

https://youtu.be/IQTSJacsjls

The film was screened in 1982 and is set in the Shaolin Temple, a famous example of Chinese martial arts.

This film triggered a boom in Shaolin temples and Shaolin kung fu not only in mainland China but also in Japan and other countries.
The film is also the film debut of Lee Linchay, who has been described as a kung fu king.
In addition to Lin Choi, the film is said to have used real martial artists such as Yue Hai and Fu Chen Chan and was filmed entirely without stunts.
With this film as a starting point, the history of Chinese cinema will continue to produce more and more full-fledged action films.

The Red Korlian (1987), which became a social phenomenon in China

A Chinese film made in 1987.
It is also the directorial debut of Zhang Yimou, the famous Chinese director, and the film debut of Cong Li, now a super veteran actress.

The film was not only a huge success outside of the country but also caused such controversy in China that it was dubbed the “Red Korian” phenomenon.
It is arguably one of the greatest films of its time in Chinese film history.
The film also won the Golden Bear at the 1988 Berlin International Film Festival, as well as the Best Film Award at the Hyakka and Golden Jade Awards.

The most striking thing about the film is its striking visual beauty, which is based on the color “red”.
The intense color-enhanced visual style is also evident in many of Zhang Yimou’s later films.

A Momentary Dream (1997), which cuts into social issues

It is a 1997 China-Hong Kong co-production of a drama film.
The film won the Golden Balloon Award (Grand Prix) at the Canto Tricontinental Film Festival in 1998.
Director and screenwriter: Ja Zhang-keu has a knack for non-fiction work.

At the time, there were no films that focused on the so-called “underbelly of society” and when this film came out, it was a big deal.
After the entire film, I couldn’t get rid of the cloudiness that lingered in my mind forever.

The Green Distinction (2000), a film that won all the awards.

This is a 2000 wuxia film co-production between China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States.

With a distinguished cast, the film won six awards at the 37th Golden Horse Awards, including Best Film and Best Action Design.

It won eight awards including Best Film and Best Director at the 20th Hong Kong Film Awards and four awards including Best Foreign Language Film at the 73rd Academy Awards, making it the first film in China’s 73-year history to win such illustrious awards.

This film shows the world how great Chinese film action technology can be by using wire action techniques to express the movements of the Chinese Light Gong and combining them with beautiful picturesque images that look like picture scrolls.

It is said that the influence of this new type of action film was not only reflected in the action films produced in Greater China but also in the use of wire action technology in films all over the world.

Hero” (2002), which broke the box office record for a Chinese film

A 2002 Hong Kong and Mainland China co-production, this action film was screened in Japan in 2003 and in the United States in 2004.

With a record of reaching the number one spot at the box office in its first week of release, the film’s gorgeous cast and beautiful colors created a buzz and broke the box office record for Chinese films.
He also won seven awards, including the Best Cinematography Award, at the 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards.
This is the work of director Zhang Yimou, and the visual impact of the film is immense.

Innocent World” (2004), popular for its unique storytelling style

This is a Chinese film released in 2004.
It was directed and written by Feng Xiaogang.
Starring Andy Lau, Rene Liu, and Guo Yeoh, the film follows the thieves’ offensive as it unfolds in the carriage of a train departing from Tibet.

A young man dreams of a world without dirt, and a couple of thieves die in order to protect his pure dream.
I couldn’t stop crying when I saw a young man looking at this world with a smile on his face, not knowing what evil is, what good is, and what horrible events are happening around him.

This is a film that experiences Feng Xiaogang’s exquisite way of telling a story in abundance.

An ambitious work that traces the history of the Chinese Revolution, Farewell, the Wolves of Vengeance (2010)

A Chinese film from 2010. The film is directed and starred by Cian Wen.

The many depictions of the history of the Chinese Revolution that appear in the film satirize Chinese society, and it became the top-grossing film of all time in China at the time of its release.

The $135 million blockbusters “The Great Wall” (2016)

The film is a Chinese/US co-production made in 2016.
It is a historical warfare action film about an epic battle that takes place on the Great Wall of China.
It was directed by Zhang Yimou and starred Matt Damon in the lead role.

A blockbuster that cost $135 million to make, it’s also said to be the highest-budgeted film ever shot in China.
Since filming at the Great Wall of China was not allowed, a set of three walls was set up in the studio to shoot the film using CG technology.

The Evolution of Events in the Evolution of Film

From 1982 to the present, Chinese cinema has grown steadily through various explorations and technical refinements.
The number of co-productions with Hollywood and Japan is expected to increase in the future. The film industry may be developing with China and the rest of the world involved.

In my opinion, the film has a lot in common with the event in some ways.

From planning in advance to filming, each person takes responsibility for his or her work, and good work is created.

There are also a lot of tips and elements in the film that can be used for events.

The scenario for the opening VTR and the use of color for the venue decorations.
In addition, as the coronavirus has hit the world recently, we are also working on a CG plan as LIVE CONVENTION…

I’m going to continue to get a lot of input from Chinese films as a period of self-development.

Now is the time to do it. Please keep an eye on Chinese films for innovative tips that are born today.

I’m really looking forward to seeing this current sensibility reflected in future films and being involved in the Chinese Film Festival as a real event.