Market·Insights | International Buyers and Sellers Return, Highlighting the Global Scale of SIFF MARKET

At the Thai pavilion in the SIFF MARKET exhibition hall, several Thai staff members, dressed in vibrant traditional attire, posed for photos with visitors while introducing Thailand's film incentive policies. In the market salon, Boris Puguet, a partner at Heylight International Film Distribution, shared the success story of distributing CREATION OF THE GODS: KINGDOM OF STORMS in France, captivating his industry peers and audience. This year, the SIFF MARKET at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) returned to the Shanghai Exhibition Center, once again bustling with international buyers and sellers.

Sellers Flock to the Market

Beyond Promotion, Seeking Insights

China's appeal to the international film industry has never waned. Amid the global recovery of the film and television industry, this year's SIFF MARKET has attracted a large number of international sellers eager to promote their local film incentive policies, filming locations, and films.

Sellers aiming to bring their country's outstanding works to the vast Chinese market still hold a significant presence. “Old” friends of the SIFF MARKET, such as the Thai Ministry of Culture, Korean Film Council (KOFIC), Polish Filmmakers Association, and Iran's Farabi Cinema Foundation, returned with more production companies, seeking opportunities for distribution and co-productions. Previously, the low-budget Thai youth film BAD GENIUS was introduced to China, earning a remarkable 271 million RMB at the box office, which accounted for over 90% of its global total! This success story has inspired many companies to make their mark in this vast market.

“Newcomers” like Saudi Arabia, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan are making their first forays into China, hoping to understand and establish more cooperation and exchanges with the Chinese market. A representative from the Georgian National Film Center expressed that while distributing Georgian films in China might still be challenging, "We hope that at the very least, Chinese producers will appreciate the project ideas we recommend, leading to co-productions or adaptations."

These national film agencies gathered in Shanghai have another crucial task: promoting their filming policies and cultural tourism resources. The eye-catching Thai joint pavilion, "Content Thailand", brings together skills, strengths, and resources from Thai government agencies, associations, non-profit organizations, private sectors, and individuals. "We are responsible for introducing Thailand's power in creation to the global market. This project is coordinated and supported by the Thai National Audio-Visual Committee," explained the pavilion staff. "Besides film production content, we also promote Thailand's tourism resources and welcome Chinese friends to come and film and travel in Thailand."

Promoting filming locations is a key focus for many sellers. The IMS Malaysia Film Base, a “familiar face” at SIFF, has hosted Chinese productions like the comedy HELLO MRS.MONEY by Mahua FunAge, the film SKYFIRE starring Hannah Quinlivan, and three Nanyang-themed iQIYI series THE LITTLE NYONYA, THE FERRYMAN LEGENDS OF NANYANG, and SISTERHOOD. Li Xinyu, the Director of Business Development at IMS, introduced IMS as a Malaysian “state-owned enterprise”. "Our base features not only Malaysian characteristics but also elements from various Southeast Asian countries, making it a popular choice for shooting Southeast Asian-themed productions. Moreover, we are the only comprehensive film base in Malaysia, and even in Southeast Asia, that integrates outdoor locations, indoor studios, water stages, and post-production facilities."

China is the largest source of clients for this base, with Chinese crews accounting for 45% of their clientele, followed by the UK and the US, with 20% and 10-15%, respectively. "We place great importance on the Chinese market and the SIFF MARKET at the Shanghai International Film Festival. Many of our Chinese clients come directly or indirectly from this platform," she said. "IMS highly welcomes Chinese and other foreign crews, not just for the economic contribution but also because we hope our staff can learn more professional skills from these international crews."

Buyers Reap the Benefits

How to Tell Chinese Stories on the International Stage?

In recent years, with the increasing quality of Chinese films and TV dramas, there has been a growing desire to "go global", and international distributors have sensed the business opportunities within this trend. This year's SIFF MARKET attracted a number of international distributors seeking "good films" from China.

A representative from the Kyrgyzstan National Film Center stated that last year, Chinese films ranked sixth in terms of the number of films distributed in Kyrgyzstan among all countries. They hope to further increase the distribution of Chinese films, especially Chinese animated films, in Kyrgyzstan. They not only aim to distribute Chinese films in their country but also hope to handle their distribution across all Russian-speaking countries and regions.

With the rising enthusiasm of international buyers, what are the strengths and weaknesses of Chinese films "going global"? To address this, the SIFF MARKET organized a Buyers Mix & Meeting, providing a platform for sharing and discussing the potential for Chinese films to shine on the international stage with different cultural backgrounds.

Southeast Asia, with its high proportion of Chinese and Chinese descendants, has always been a key region for the overseas distribution of Chinese films. Action films were once the most popular Chinese genre in Southeast Asia, but interestingly, as the variety of Chinese films has greatly increased in recent years, the audience demographics in Southeast Asia have also shifted. Malaysia's Mega Films Distribution, established in 2012, has released about 20 Chinese films, including action films, sci-fi, comedies, and recently well-received realistic-themed works. The company's Executive Director, Chee Jun Chiang, revealed that excellent action films are still popular. "WOLF WARRIOR 2 was the first Chinese film we distributed, and it did well at the box office in Malaysia," he said. However, the highest-grossing film they distributed was NO MORE BETS. "It is our most successful release so far and currently the highest-grossing mainland Chinese film in Malaysia, with a box office of about 21 million Malaysian Ringgit (approximately 32 million RMB), ranking sixth in Malaysia's Chinese-language film box office charts!"

Interestingly, he also revealed that he not only imported the film but also learned a lot about Chinese film promotion methods. "At the premiere of NO MORE BETS, I invited internet influencers to watch the movie. After the screening, I gave each person an egg, echoing the scam scene in the film where ‘people line up to receive eggs’. This immediately piqued a lot of curiosity and attracted a wave of attention."

It's not surprising that Chinese films can do well in “Chinese-speaking regions”, but it's remarkable that CREATION OF THE GODS: KINGDOM OF STORMS became a hit among non-Chinese-speaking audiences in France. According to media reports, this film was screened in 140 cinemas across France, with nearly 500 screenings in total. At Paris's UGC Les Halles, reputed to be the world's largest cinema, all showings in the largest auditorium on the premiere day were sold out! Boris Puguet, a partner at Heylight International Film Distribution, who managed the French release, said he was initially captivated by the film's trailer. "I was blown away and thought such a good film should be introduced to the French market. France releases about 15 new films every week, and the production quality of Chinese films has become so impressive that they deserve to be seen in France."

He also noted that French moviegoers are generally older and have high artistic standards for films. The CREATION OF THE GODS series, often hailed as China's LORD OF THE RINGS, not only boasts stunning visual effects but also rich historical, cultural, and philosophical elements. "The artistic quality of the film is a primary criterion for me when selecting Chinese films."

Such sharing goes beyond mere "buying and selling". It highlights the significance of the SIFF MARKET as an international exchange platform. Everyone talks about "going global", and instead of working behind closed doors and imagining scenarios, it's better to learn from the practical experiences and lessons shared by international peers.

The director of SIFF MARKET also emphasized that as an industry "barometer", the return of international exhibitors and professional audiences to the SIFF MARKET underscores the importance of offline exhibitions. SIFF MARKET will continue to host similar events, fulfilling the responsibilities and mission of this international platform.