8th SIFF Jin Jue International Film Forum

With the main theme of “Cooperate with the World and Focus on China to Develop Asia”, the forum was divided into three parts, aiming to present a communicative venue for exchanging opinions from filmmakers to high level administrators of film industry of China, Asian and the world. Jin Jue International Film Forum of the 8th SIFF was held from June 12th, 2005 to June 18th, 2005 at Yin Xin Ball Room, Crown Plaza Hotel and the Grand Theatre.

Part I. Theme Forums
Under the theme of “Centennial Celebration of Chinese Cinema: Embracing the World in the Future,” the theme forums consisted of three seminars:
· 100-year of Chinese Cinema: Dialogue between the Classical and the Contemporary with a Focus on Martial Arts/Kung-fu films
· Focus on China, Review and Expectation
· Dialogue between China and the World, Chinese/Global Entertainment Industry Summit: Market Convergence & Cultural Connections

Part II. Roundtables
Aiming to establish an exchange venue for filmmakers both home and abroad, the roundtables consisted of three special events:
· Roundtable with the Chinese/Asian Film Distributors around the World
· Roundtable with World’s Tide of Animation Films
· Roundtable with New Asian Creative Power

Part III. Asian New Talent Award Competition
With the goal of discovering and encouraging new Asian filmmakers, the Asian New Talent Award aims to promote and develop the Asian film industry and presents cash awards to winners and to establish a stage to discuss Chinese films’ worldwide influence and how the international fund influence Asian films.

Theme Forum I

100-year of Chinese Cinema: Dialogue between the Classical and the Contemporary with a Focus on Martial Arts/Kung-fu films
*Contents
Along the 100-year long history of Chinese cinema, from Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan to Jet Lee, those Chinese film actors who enjoy high reputation in the world are almost martial arts stars, even now Zhang Ziyi is titled as “Queen of Martial Arts Films”. As a matter of fact, not only martial arts films and their casts are warmly welcomed by the public all around world, also Chinese Kung-fu films strongly influence American and even the world’s action movies. The unique film language of Chinese Kung-fu films contributes a new style to film choreography.

This theme from invited authoritative film critics from US, Japan and China who are fond of studying Chinese Kung-fu films and Jackie Chan, the most remarkable Chinese Kung-fu star, to cherish the splendid memory of the most contributive Chinese films, Kung-fu films.

*Moderator:
He Ping, Chinese film director
*Guest Speakers:
Jackie Chan, Chinese Kung-fu star
Li Cheuk To, Hong Kong film critic
Udagawa Koyo, Japanese film critc
David Chute, American film critic
Li Hongyu, Chinese film critic

Theme Forum II
Focus on China, Review and Expectation
*Contents

Due to the centennial anniversary of Chinese film, this forum mainly discussed Chinese film’s glorious past and its great expectation on the base of thousand-year long Chinese history. The participants would explore the direction of film industry and prospect the future of fruitful Chinese film. Also, the theme forum would focus on the status of film education. Considering the education as the prelude of film industry, the forum provided a communicative stage for discussing how to inaugurate a brand new epoch of film industry. Besides, the forum offered a unique angle to argue the existence of national image under the global film language.

*Guest Speakers:
Delegation from Beijing Film Academy

Theme Forum III
Chinese / Global Entertainment Industry Summit, Market Convergence & Cultural Connections

In the year 2005, the 8th SIFF met the 100 anniversary of Chinese film. Also, the industrialization of Chinese film came to a memorable period: from 2004 to 2005, about 212 Chinese films were produced, box office reached 1.5 billion RMB, main industry income up to 3.5 billion RMB. As the moment of getting closer and closer when China thoroughly enrolled in WTO, international film industry was adopting its attitude towards Chinese films from “marketing concerning” to “practical investment”. Both international film companies and Chinese film institutions were ready to make fortune at this point. What worth attention in the review of Chinese films in 2004 was that over 80% films had been produced through private investment or foreign investment. Foreign capital was officially accepted by the government in producing films. What’s more exciting was that Chinese Film Promotion Draft would be officially announced in 2005, which symbolized that the new structure of Chinese film industry with multi-investors and various development had been established.

Therefore, Jin Jue International Film Forum aimed to celebrate the 100 anniversary of Chinese films on an international and open base. The second theme forum consisted of three seminars, namely Strategy for the Future, Next Wave and History and Maintenance, focusing on Chinese Global investment, cooperation and film development. Hopefully, through a series discussion on Chinese film capital operation, film development and promotion, maintenance of film resource, etc, the second forum would contribute to the main theme, Cooperate with the World and Focus on China to Develop Asia.

Seminar I: Strategy for the future

*Moderator:
Robert Rosen, Dean, UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television

*Guest Speakers:
Tong Gang, President of the Film Bureau, State Administration of Radio, Film and TV, China;
Hope Boonshaft, Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures Entertainment;
Gareth Wigan, Vice Chairman, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group;
Ken Suddleson, U.S. entertainment lawyer;
KIM Hyae-joon, Secretary General, Korean Film Council (KOFIC);
Ren Zhonglun, President, Shanghai Film Group;
Han Sanping, General Manager, China Film Warner Hengdian Film & TV Production Co., Ltd.;
Dennis Wang, President, Huayi Brothers & Taihe Film Investment Co., Ltd.;

Seminar II: Next Wave

*Moderator:
Eric Mika, CEO, Variety

*Guest Speakers:
Geoffrey Gilmore, Director of Sundance Film Festival;
Veronique Cayla, General Manager, Cannes Film Festival;
Bruce Vaughn, Vice President Walt Disney Imagineering, R&D, Inc.;
Kim Dong-Ho, Director, Pusan Film Festival.
Harvey Weinstain, Co-president, Miramax Films Corporation
Bill Kong, President, Hong Kong Edko Films;
Barbara Robinson, Executive Vice President, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia

Seminar III: History and Maintenance

*Moderator:
Dr. Haiping Yan, Director, UCLA China-American Collaborative Media Programs

*Guest Speakers:
Yoji Yamada, Japanese film director
Wu Yigong, Chairman of China Film Association;
Li Cheuk To, film critic and director,
Robert Rosen, Founding Chair, Archivists Council of America Film Foundation

Round Table I: Chinese/Asian Film Distributors around the World

*Contents
Judging from entry films of Asian New Talent Award of 2005, Chinese and other Asian film works drew more and more attention from international community. A lot of registered films were produced by European and American distribution companies, which also indicated a brand new operation style of producing film. However, local new films, especially those films made by new filmmakers still lack opportunity to promote in the international market. What on earth is their problem? What kind of film works are European and American market favor of? How to skillfully communicate between investors and production party? This roundtable talk invited world\'s famous distribution companies and successful Asian film companies to share their experience of film production and distribution.

*Moderator:

Hou Li: Managing Director, Cheerland Entertainment Organization
*Guest Speakers:
Laurent Dutron, vice president, MK2
Thierry Decourcelle, President, Ocean film distribution :
Michael Werner, Fortissimo co-prisident
Glen Basner, Vice president, Focus
Ren Jianhong, CEO, Stellar Line

Roundtable II: World\'s Tide of Animation Films

*Contents
Nowadays, more and more animation features influenced our aesthetic experience and even the tide of feature film production. Meanwhile, another kind of short animation films between experiment and meditation still finds its way to exist. Will this short animation be as popular as Japanese comics feature to influence daily life and the whole film industry? Or, how far are we from this kind of life style?

*Guest Speakers:
Jayne Pilling, Director of British Animation Awards

Roundtable III: New Asian Creative Power

*Contents

In what way will the new creative powers of Asian film choose to prove their value and express their thoughts? If there exists some kind of film style that can most impress the society, which form of existence will they choose to reach this style? How do they balance pursuit of individuality and recognition by the market? Were there any impressive experience during their efforts to make their own films? Last, but not the lease, with abundant film festival experience, what suggestion and advice the director of AFI will give to our young talent?

*Moderator:
He Ping: Director

*Guest Speakers:
Lu Chuan, Chinese film Director
Babara WONG Chun Chun, film Director from HK, China
Ekachai Uekrongtham, Thailand film Director
Hassan Yektapanah, Iranian film Director

Asian New Films Forum in conjunction with Closing Ceremony of Asian New Talent Award

*Contents
Established in 2004, this year\'s Asian New Talent Award attracted 55 films from over 15 Asian countries. According to the entry situation, China, Korea, Japan, Iran and India still play the leading role in film production within Asia. Yet, films from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia are all making huge progress. What is the status of the young Asian creators? How do they balance pursuit of individuality and recognition by the market? Were there any impressive experience during their efforts to make their own films? Combining with the awarding ceremony of Asian New Talent Award, the Asian new film forum will provide people who care a lot about the new Asian filmmakers with an instructive and energetic panorama.

Guests:
International jury members of Asian New Talent Award;
Representatives of competition films