2019-06-23

Follow the Film to Travel Around Shanghai | This City is a Good Place for My Framing and Shooting

During Shanghai International Film Festival of this year, the Film Festival Organizing Committee launched the "Follow the Film to Travel Around Shanghai" campaign for filmmakers from various countries. The movie guests from different countries, crews participating the competition and exhibition, the representatives of the "Belt and Road" Film Festival Alliance, and film market guests visited the city\'s scenic spots with red memory, Shanghai regional spirit and natural charm of south of the Yangtze River, deepening their understanding and knowledge of Shanghai. Some foreign filmmakers who have come to Shanghai many times to participate in the film festival said:"I used to come and go in a hurry. I finally got to know Shanghai, and I will bring the crew to Shanghai for framing and shooting."

To launch "cultural and tourism integration" and recommend Shanghai to filmmakers around the world and make them understand Shanghai is a major innovation of this film festival. With the support of the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the film festival specially designed three routes. City route is visiting the Bund, Yu Garden, Shanghai Tower, ‎New World of Shanghai and the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The outer suburban route is to visit Xinchang Ancient Town, Nanjing Road Walkway and the Bund. The half-day tour of Pujiang includes Yuyuan Garden tour and Huangpu River cruise experience.

When the organizing committee of the film festival asked guests from all over the world for their opinions, they received a warm response right away. In particular, representatives from the member organizations of the "Belt and Road" Film Festival Alliance are actively signing up. Yesterday, filmmakers from all over the world who participated in the "Belt and Road" film week, led by the staff of the film festival, visited the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, New World of Shanghai and the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and other Shanghai distinctive landmarks.

The directors, protagonists and producers of drama films, documentaries and animated films shortlisted for Golden Goblet Awards want to enjoy the amorous feelings of Huangpu River cross-strait scenery on a cruise. Carlos, a Uruguayan director settled down in Germany, said: "I came to Shanghai for three months in 2004, at that time I was teaching film production courses at Shanghai Normal University, and I had been concentrating on teaching and had no time to visit Shanghai. The service of visiting Shanghai of this film festival made up for my previous regret."

This year, German director Carlos came to the Shanghai International Film Festival with his work MANY HAPPY RETURNS. The film tells the story of a married but separated couple Matthias and Anna who are planning a birthday party for their son Lucas despite their incompatibility. When talking about his films, Carlos said frankly that the environment for making and producing films in Germany is not very good, and the budget is very limited. For various reasons, the film finally took six years to complete. "I was still very excited when I heard that my movie was nominated for the main competition unit of Golden Goblet Awards. On the day of the conference of MANY HAPPY RETURNS in Shanghai International Film Festival, three or four Chinese film companies came to me to discuss the issue matters of the movie in China. Another screenwriter showed me his screenplay, hoping to look for the opportunity for co-production. The Chinese film market is bigger than I expected. I think, if the co-production can be achieved, this city must be a good place for my framing and shooting."

Shanghai Tower is a high-rise building symbolizing the development of Shanghai and is also an important scenic spot for this visit. Carlos sighed in the Top of Shanghai Observatory on the 118th floor of the building: "I am very curious about how Chinese employees in super high-rise buildings work and live and what experiences they have. Now I need to conceive a good script. As long as there is a suitable story, I will shoot a movie related to China in Shanghai Tower and tell the story of China with my own understanding."

The drama film SHYRAKSHY: GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT, which is shortlisted for the main competition unit of Golden Goblet Awards. It is the first Kazakh film to appear at Shanghai International Film Festival, and it is also the representative work of Kazakh films going international in recent years. Producer Kanat Torre took part in the Shanghai tour together with actor Mokasanov, who plays the leading role in the film, "Uncle Taishan", who is also a strong contender for the best actor in this Golden Goblet Awards. Kanat Torre said that Shanghai is a very connotative city. If I can live here for a period of time, "I will certainly dig out many moving stories from my own perspective. This trip made my experience during Shanghai International Film Festival very wonderful." The elderly Mokasanov insisted on taking photos in every corner during his visit to the Yuyuan Garden. When talking about his impression of Shanghai, he raised his thumb and repeated it three times: "Shanghai is great. I really like here."

Kanat Torre also revealed that the film market in Kazakhstan is very small. Last year, 70 films were produced in the country, 80% of which were low-cost films. Only when I came to Shanghai did I know that Shanghai has more screens than Kazakhstan, the whole country. "For producer, Shanghai International Film Festival is a good platform for finding funds and cooperation. If I have the opportunity, I will co-produce a movie with my Chinese counterparts or come to Shanghai for framing. I think my answer is yes."

Estonian director Janno Põldma is competing for the Golden Goblet Awards for best animated film with LOTTE AND THE LOST DRAGONS. It is the first time that this old man has come to China. He has been to the Bund three times in just over ten days. Once he got lost while traveling alone on the Bund. He who could not speak Chinese got warm help from local people and finally succeeded in finding his way back to the hotel. Following the tour group, he said, "I think this city is very interesting and friendly. Even if some people can not speak English, they will help finding young people who can speak English to communicate with me. In the past few days in Shanghai, I have learned to take sightseeing buses and subways so that I can easily experience the life and culture of the local people." Standing on the Bund and overlooking Lujiazui\'s high-rise buildings, Shanghai\'s city scenes with half-traditional and half-modern also brought him artistic inspirations: "The combination of modern architecture and historical tradition makes this city very unique and easily inspires us, comparing with other cities."