The Light of Guangdong Films—Guangdong Film Promotion Conference 2024 grandly opened at the Beijing Film Market section of the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) on April 19. At the conference, several policies were issued to support Guangdong cinema, and 10 Guangdong-made quality films made their debuts.

The promotion conference was guided by the BJIFF Organizing Committee, the Guangdong Provincial Film Administration and the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Critics, co-hosted by the Guangdong Film Association and the Film Art Center of CFLAC, and jointly organized by of the Film and Television Industry Promotion and Investment Committee of China Film Association, the Guangdong Film Association Directors Committee, and Chinese Star (Guangdong) Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Present at the event were Hu Zhenmin, Executive Deputy Director of the China Working Committee of Care for the Next Generations, former Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and former Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Deng Guanghui, Director of the Office of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Sub-Group and Vice President of the China Film Association, Yang Wujun, Director of the Office of the National Commission for the Management of Special Funds for the Development of Film Industry, Zhou Jiandong, Vice Chairman of the China Film Producers’ Association, leaders from the Chinese Society of World Cinema, the Film Digital Program Management Center of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Guangdong Provincial Film Administration, the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Critics, the Guangdong Film Association, the Publicity Departments of the Party Committee of Guangzhou City, Huizhou City and Zengcheng District of Guangzhou City, and other guests.

　　The Light of Guangdong Films—Guangdong Film Promotion Conference 2024

Tong Gang, former Deputy Director and Director of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China, Song Zhiqin, Executive Deputy Director of the Film Art Center of CFLAC, Hao Yong, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Vice President of the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Critics, and Hao Jie, Deputy Director of the BJIFF Organizing Committee Office and Deputy Director of the BJIFF Operation Center of Beijing Radio & Television Station, addressed the conference respectively.

　　Tong Gang, Vice President of the China Federation of Radio and Television Associations, and

former Deputy Director and Director of the Film Bureau of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China

　　

　　Song Zhiqin, Executive Deputy Director of the Film Art Center of CFLAC

　　

Guangdong is the largest moviegoing market in China, with the box office leading the country for 22 consecutive years. Meanwhile, the province has constantly improved its production capacity of filmmaking in the past few years, and achieved remarkable social and economic benefits. With the industry-leading application and R&D of film technologies, it has become a leader in the country in terms of post-production, film projection and cinema construction. At the promotion conference, the Guangdong Provincial Film Administration introduced the film environment, resources and support policies in the province. With stronger support than other provinces, Guangdong has attracted the attention of various investors and practitioners.

　　Guangdong Provincial Film Administration gives a presentation

Guangzhou City has also issued rich and diverse film subsidy and reward policies. Regarding creation, key film projects in Guangzhou can be granted a support fund of up to 20 million yuan; debut films independently directed by excellent young directors included in Guangzhou's excellent film talent pool can be granted a subsidy of up to 2 million yuan; films that are nominated for or win major awards can be granted a reward of up to 5 million yuan.

　　Film subsidy and reward policies in Guangzhou

Besides, film companies registered in Guangzhou can be funded up to 5 million yuan; cinema chains settled in Guangzhou can be funded up to 3 million yuan; enterprises that develop key technologies of film equipment or manufacture high-end film equipment can be funded up to 3 million yuan; approved major film festivals, exhibitions, expos and fairs can be funded up to 10 million yuan; film industry parks, post-production bases, incubation spaces and digital studios invested or built in Guangzhou can be funded up to 5 million yuan; long-term projects introduced or created such as film education and film talent training can be funded up to 2 million yuan per year, totaling 3 years; film and television integrated service units can be funded up to 2 million yuan.

　　Film and television collaborative shooting services in Huizhou City

In recent years, Huizhou City has become a hot shooting site of many films, such as Good Autumn, Mommy, Break Through the Darkness, Last Suspect, etc. The Huizhou Municipal Film Administration concluded that filming in Huizhou can save shooting costs by 10%-30% thanks to the city's six advantages in natural endowment, regional features, working environment, living costs, historical heritage and service guarantee. At the conference, the Huizhou-made film I Love You, to the Moon, and Back also caught the attention of film practitioners. The romance film, written and directed by Li Weiran and starring Zhang Zifeng, Hu Xianxu, Ren Ke and other actors, was shot in Huizhou, and nominated for the Competition Section of the 14th BJIFF. It is scheduled to be officially released during the upcoming Labor Day holiday.

　　I Love You, to the Moon, and Back, a film presented by Huizhou City

The Film Administration of Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City recommended two major film platforms in the district, namely the Key Platform for Film and Television Cultural Exchanges in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Zengcheng Film and Television Data Copyright Trading Platform, and three film bases, namely the Guangzhou (Zengcheng) Film and Television Industry Incubation Base, the National Popular Film and Television Shooting Base, and the Zengcheng Film Technology, Industry and Education Integration Base. It also proposed the vision of building Zengcheng District into the “Modern Film Town in South China”, inviting film practitioners from all over the country to share the opportunity.

　　Recommendation by the Film Administration of Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City

At the promotion conference, the Guangzhou Film Industry Fair, the Zengcheng Film and Television Culture Industrial Park, the Dingjunshan Film and Television Education Demonstration Zone for Primary and Secondary Schools, and other well-known film and TV platforms and bases in Guangdong also sent invitations to peers for future collaboration. Moreover, Shenzhen Rayvision Technology, the provider of visual cloud computing services for Boonie Bears: Time Twist, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, The Battle at Lake Changjin series, The Wandering Earth series, and Pegasus series, shared with attendees how the cloud computing will further promote the upgrading of film and television production process in the future.

　　

　　Recommendation by the Film Administration of Zengcheng District, Guangzhou City

At the promotion conference, 10 Guangdong-made excellent films with different themes and genres made a debut together, showcasing the innovation and diversity of Guangdong-made films in the new era. 

Three documentary films featured grand themes and ingenious pointcuts. The documentary film Kangxi and Louis XIV is a Sino-French co-production to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, depicting a vivid landscape of the time-honored friendship between France and China and the exchange and convergence of Western and Chinese cultures. The documentary film is to be screened in Paris, Cannes and other cities of France in May, and officially released in June. The documentary film Chinese Animation: A Century reviews the centennial history of Chinese animation, analyzes and promotes the spirit of Chinese animation school, and invites the world to learn about and love Chinese animation. The documentary film Life Goes On looks back on the education in south China during the Anti-Japanese War period, and demonstrates the patriotism and dedication of those intellectuals and students at that time.

　　

　　

Two excellent animated films display the creative strength of Guangdong as a big animation province from different dimensions. Inspired by the myth of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, the domestic animation Into the Mortal World, which was completed in five years, shows Chinese stories and aesthetics in an innovative way, and brings the audience an imaginative audio-visual feast. GG Bond: Interstellar Action, the ninth animated film of the famous GG Bond animation IP, will make new breakthroughs in the production level based on previous films. This much-anticipated family animation is scheduled to hit cinemas during the Labor Day holiday. 

Madam Xian, an opera film which won the Best Opera Film at the 36th Golden Rooster Awards, was also on the list of recommended films. The film tells the story of Madam Xian, hailed as “the first heroine of China” and a legendary figure living in the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the early years of the Sui Dynasty, who has made outstanding contributions to safeguarding national unity and ethnic solidarity, and promoting the development of Lingnan region. The protagonist Zeng Xiaomin won the Plum Performance Award, and her Cantonese opera film White Snake also enjoyed much popularity among young people and won the Outstanding Feature Film at the 19th Huabiao Film Awards. 

　　Promotion of Madam Xian

The feature film Be Brave tells the true story of Zhang Jiacheng, a one-armed boy in Yunfu, Guangdong Province who loves basketball after the arm is broken, overcomes difficulties, pursues dreams and realizes life values. The leading role is played by Zhang Jiacheng himself, and basketball player Zhu Fangyu also appears in the film. While focusing on ordinary people and depicting the big age, the film also presents local conditions and customs in southern Guangdong from many perspectives. 

The feature film A Story in Pingshi tells the story of many schools in Lingnan moving to Pingshi in northern Guangdong during the Anti-Japanese War, insisting on teaching and saving the nation. The teachers of these schools were honored as “Mr. Pingshi” by later generations. The film, starring Kwan-Ho Tse, a renowned actor from Hong Kong, China, will be a new attempt of Lingnan humanistic films. 

　　Promotion of feature films

The feature film Walk in the Shadows is produced by Zhang Quanxin, directed by David Lam, written by Liu Yi, and stars Han Geng, Wang Qianyuan and Zhang Xinyu. The film, based on a real drug case, tells the thrilling story of the Chinese anti-drug police's transnational pursuit of a big drug dealer. It is slated for release within the year. 

　　Promotion of Walk in the Shadows

The feature film Lion Dance Sisters tells the inspirational story of a girl with hearing impairment who regains her life dream and reconciles with her family through lion dancing. The film combines the traditional lion dance culture with the popular street dance culture, which is very passionate and touching.

　　Promotion of Lion Dance Sisters

　　

　　A group photo at The Light of Guangdong Films—Guangdong Film Promotion Conference 2024