CFM: How do the preparations for the 14th Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival go? What are the highlights of this year’s film festival?
Su: The 14th Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival have ten unique features which be summarized as ten “uniquenesses”: 1. The unique annual Chinese and American film and TV activity supported by both Chinese and American industries and also guided by National Radio and Television Administration, China National Film Bureau, and Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in USA, as well as jointly participated and co-organized by a great many authorities in the industry, such as China Film Co., Ltd., China Film Promotion International, CCTV6, China Radio Film & TV Press Center Council, China Television Drama Production Industry, Capital Radio & TV Program Producers Association, The Producers Guild of America, The Writers Guild of America and Variety Magazine. 2. The unique representative of Chinese film market to present an award to the most popular American film in China. 3. The unique first national project on China-US film and TV exchange, included in the list of the results of high-level people-to-people exchanges between China and USA. 4. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program, receiving a letter of congratulations from two presidents of USA. 5. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program, named by a county government of Los Angeles as “Chinese American film festival month”. 6. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program, named by the city government of Los Angeles as “Chinese American film festival day”. 7. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program simultaneously broadcast on Beijing TV, Dragon TV and CCTV6 all over China, as well as on the Internet through iQIYI. 8. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program, joining the Congress USCC Annual Report in the form of text. 9. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program promoting multiple results of China-US film and TV cooperation, with participation in investment. 10. The unique China-US film and TV exchange program pursuing charity and educational poverty alleviation. Many “Chinese American Film Festival Electronic Libraries” have been successfully donated and built.
Main activities this year include: Grand film & TV ceremonies, film & TV summit forums and award ceremony of Golden Angel Award as well as dozens of characteristic large-scale activities specially for films, such as film co-production forum, TV play co-production forum and Chinese and American film promotion are held all over America, including Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Las Vegas. More than a dozen renowned film academies hold seminars and over 200 film shows to build a broader platform for cooperation between Chinese and American film & TV industries. Each year, more than 300 Chinese and American film & TV companies exchange and cooperate on the film & TV market platform of Chinese American Festival and over 500 excellent Chinese and American films are shown, with the total number of moviegoers exceeding 1.2 million.
CFM: Since its inception, Chinese American Film Festival has gathered wide popularity in China-US film market. Could you tell me the original intention of setting up the festival?
Su: At the beginning of the Chinese American Film Festival, it was mainly used to enhance mutual understanding and promote cultural cooperation and friendship of people between China and USA through film, a special art form. With the continuous progress and improvement of Chinese film industry, industrial exchanges and cooperation between China and USA have been increasing. In recent years, the elements of film and television plays and new media have been added. Therefore, the Chinese American TV Festival has been formed during the development of the Chinese American Film Festival, which together promotes further win-win cooperation between China and USA in film & TV industry.
CFM: The Chinese American Film Festival has gone through more than a decade. What do you think about the future development of Chinese films? How should Chinese films strengthen influence in the international market?
Su: Over the past decade, we have seen the booming development of Chinese films, which is an encouraging sign. To enhance the influence in the international market, films should be more international in terms of content, theme and narrative mode. In this way, more excellent works accepted by different ethnic groups can be created. Of course, I am optimistic about the development of Chinese films, because I believe that film is a carrier of culture which is the backbone of a nation, and an excellent and advanced culture will give birth to high-quality films.
Chinese American Film Festival has been held for 14 years. To serve our friends in the film & TV industry with more professionalism and dedication, the future Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival will continue to build a bridge of friendship between Chinese and American people and create a platform for cooperation between Chinese and American film & TV industries through people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.
CFM: What do you think is the key to holding a good international film festival?
Su: I think Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival are international film festivals, the key elements of which are the culture and markets represented behind them. If there is no strong support of cultural deposits and markets, then the luxury international film festivals, even made at a huge amount of money, will be water without a source.
It is a great honor that Chinese American Film Festival and Chinese American TV Festival can serve the exchange and cooperation between the two cultural industry powers China and USA and the cultural exchange and industrial cooperation between both countries will also be an irresistible trend.