SIFFORUM｜Innovative Path for Low and Medium Budget Films Paved with Content Strength and Support

The press conference for the Research Report on Chinese Film Industry 2023 and the Report on Chinese Film Art 2023 plus the Forum on the Innovative Path for Low and Medium Budget Films were held on June 11. The Forum released the two reports, and a number of guests also shared their experiences in the creation and investment of low and medium budget films. In their view, regardless of the cost, it is necessary to create impressive stories and characters so as to invite audiences back to cinemas and cultivate a mature movie-going market.

Liu Bing, Member of the Sub-party Leadership Group of China Film Association, delivered a speech for the event. Wang Dan, Director of the Film Industry Research Department of the Film Art Centre of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, hosted the event.

“Cinema appeal” - the key to facing chances and challenges

for low and medium budget films

What has been achieved in Chinese cinema in the past year? What changes have emerged in terms of creation, investment and marketing? The Research Report on Chinese Film Industry 2023 and the Report on Chinese Film Art 2023 released at the beginning of the forum conveyed a lot of noteworthy information.

As Yin Hong, Vice Chairman of China Film Association, Professor at Tsinghua University and Chairman of the Theoretical Criticism Committee of China Film Association, perceived low and medium budget films should pay extra attention to the excellence of their creation. “A low or medium budget film, whether in form, subject matter, narrative method or performance, must be extremely attractive, so that people will pay to enjoy your film in the cinema,” Yin Hong said. “You have to create a reason for the audience to see the film and show them the ‘cinema appeal’ that cannot be replaced."

Yin Hong, Vice Chairman of China Film Association, Professor at Tsinghua University, and Chairman of the Theoretical Criticism Committee of China Film Association

And as Peng Jian, Member of the Party Committee and researcher at the School of Cultural Industries Management of Communication University of China, shared, over the past three years, film investment has become increasingly concerned with the balance between social and economic benefits. “A good film should have great content, themes and values, and also a good viewership and box office, to deliver satisfactory results in both senses,” he said. At the same time, the industry is also investing more in film technology, which is likely to become a major investment direction for the film industry in the future.

Peng Jian, Member of the Party Committee and researcher at the School of Cultural Industries Management of Communication University of China 

As for the relationship between films and schedules, Liu Jia, market columnist for China Film News, special industry research expert for China Film Association and visiting professor at Beijing Film Academy, believes that content alone provides the best productivity for schedules. Starting with the Spring Festival cinema season, the development of China’s film market and industry in 2023 has ushered in good opportunities. “We have a favorable market base, the potential of the market is great, and the demand of the audience is also strong, so we need quality products especially,” she said.

Liu Jia, Market columnist for China Film News,

special industry research expert for China Film Association and

visiting professor at Beijing Film Academy

Support for low and medium budget films

in both creation and distribution links

What can be done to further help low and medium budget films develop their market? In a roundtable session moderated by actor and curator Xue Xuchun, Du Qingchun, associate professor of literature at Beijing Film Academy, screenwriter and executive producer, stressed that low and medium budget films are necessary for diversifying the film market, but that cost should not be equated with genre and therefore limit creation. “Low and medium budget is just a budget concept and should not be confused with genre. There are also purely commercial and artistic films among low and medium budget films,” Du Qingchun said.

Du Qingchun, Associate professor of literature at Beijing Film Academy, screenwriter and executive producer

At the same time, the promotion and distribution processes are also crucial for low and medium budget films. Zhang Dayong, assistant general manager of China Film Co Ltd, manager of Beijing Film Distribution Branch under it, and manager of China Digital Film Development (Beijing) Co Ltd, shared that the low-budget film JOURNEY TO THE WEST was able to take in more than RMB 60 million at the box office in a result that should be largely attributed to the development of a science fiction audience and a linkage with THE WANDERING EARTH. He said that to boost low and medium budget films, the whole industry needs to lend a hand. “We need to re-establish the viewing habits and build a bridge between films and audiences,” Zhang Dayong said.

Zhang Dayong, assistant general manager of China Film Co Ltd,

manager of Beijing Film Distribution Branch under it, and

manager of China Digital Film Development (Beijing) Co Ltd

From TO LOVE AGAIN, STREETWISE, and A SONG SUNG BLUE to NO PROBLEM WITH THOUGHT ...... In recent years, producer and actress Liang Jing and director Guan Hu have supported a number of new low-budget well-received masterpieces. In Liang Jing’s opinion, newcomers to the film industry often face enormous market pressure, so she will explore different ways to help directors make their way to the market, “first letting them become a good director with skillful expression and recognition, and then slowly training them to align with the market.” When it comes to producing low and medium budget films, Liang Jiang also prefers to work with directors to create a team with motivation. “When everyone is talented and motivated, we can build up our team spirit, spend money wisely, and accumulate experience step by step,” she said.

Producer and actress 

Liang Jing

Don’t put too much weight on cost

It’s all about being creative

Even with support from the industry’s upstream and downstream, the issue of cost still troubles many debutant filmmakers when it comes to the specifics of filming. To which extent will low cost limit creativity? Is there a way out?

From Yang Qing’s ONE NIGHT IN THE SUPERMARKET more than a decade ago, to Wen Muye’s DYING TO SURVIVE and Shao Yihui’s B FOR BUSY, Xu Zheng has engaged new directors many times. In his opinion, regardless of the cost, “a talented director must have a way to surprise you within the budget.” He says that different budgets pose different difficulties, and the key is how the directors showcase their talent and get the job done within the constraints. He uses the metaphor of “space decoration” to describe the problems young directors face. “It is good to have everything take on a Roman flavor, but when you don’t have that condition, you should think carefully: what kind of space do I want to live in? What kind of space is right for me? And then you might end up with a unique space for very little money to renovate.”

As a director, screenwriter and actor, Li Fei has collaborated with many of the industry’s seniors, including Jiang Wen, Ge You and Fan Wei, and has been exploring the creation of low and medium budget films. He also believes that when it is impossible to get more investment, creators might as well “plow efforts” into other areas, “such as time cost, thinking, and learning, to take everything in these regards to the extreme, and that might deliver a better result.” He also encouraged young performers to be brave to work with seniors. “Whether it's acting, writing, filming or producing, an earnest attitude is enough. Creative disagreements and disputes are often the easiest to resolve – in fact, after discussion, we will surely come up with an accepted solution.”

Director, screenwriter and actor

Li Fei