Shanghai Daily news

For movie buffs, the ongoing Eighth Shanghai International Film Festival is a chance to see films from around the world but for film industry insiders, it’s more important that the festival act as a platform for the launch of new Asian productions.
So it’s no wonder that the competition for the Asian New Talent Award, now in its second year, is a highlight of the festival.
Opportunities are booming for filmmakers in Asia. As Chinese-American directoractress Joan Chen says: “Asian society is now undergoing rapid change in their economies and social activities and this can be a great source of inspiration for Asian filmmakers.”
So, the next question is: How can the local industry maximize the opportunity to expand the influence of Asian films?
It seems that kung fu films are still a shortcut in the drive to win audiences, particularly in the Western cinema market.
From Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” to Zhang Yimou’s “House of Flying Daggers” and Stephen Chow’s “Kung Fu Hustle,” the West seems to prefer Chinese martial arts productions.
“With pressure from Hollywood blockbusters, a point to follow to ensure the success of local films is to keep up with international trends while retaining our own cultural characteristics,” says kung fu star Jackie Chan.
Speaking at a forum held during the festival, he said: “Kung fu movies seem the best choice for Chinese directors as they usually have simple story lines and dazzling body languages that take them beyond cultural boundaries.”
While Chinese filmmakers continue to focus on kung fu, their South Korean counterparts are going their own way. Possessing a leading movie industry in their own country, the Korean film industry has resisted American saturation of their home market with a homegrown diet of crime, action, romance and comedy films.
Since the success of the comedy “My Sassy Girl,” some Korean flicks even do better than Hollywood blockbusters not only in South Korea but also in other Asian countries. This type of Korean movie, with common themes of humor, hilarity and honesty, makes up the swelling “Korean wave” of movie making.
“Unlike their predecessors who usually placed a high premium on the educational role of movies, today’s Asian filmmakers, with their hightechnology stunts and use of 3-D effects, obviously know more about the entertainment function of filmmaking,” says Chen.
But if, say, kung fu films and Korean love stories are enjoying continuing popularity, the local film market is still far from being mature enough for Chinese makers of art films.
“Peacock,” a film by Gu Changwei which won the Silver Bear award at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival in February this year, took 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) at the Chinese box office — a high return for an art film compared with Jia Zhangke’s “The World,” which took a mere 1 million yuan.
However, those figures are insignificant when one considers the box office returns for some kung fu movies — “Kung Fu Hustle,” for example, chalked in 160 million yuan in the Chinese mainland market alone.
Piracy, bad screening schedules and lack of government support are considered to be the major problems confronting young Chinese arthouse directors.
“The quota system in South Korea requires movie theaters screen Korean movies at least 146 days a year, while in China, many art films don’t even have access to major cinemas,” says director Jia Zhangke, president of the jury panel for the Asia New Talent Award.
“Plus, there are still no special cinema chains in China for art films. I think the general public has a responsibility to help change that situation. It is not only a task for the government, the filmmakers, the cinemas and the media, but also for moviegoers.”
Investors, producers, directors — no one is happy about a poor box office. But for some who have already enjoyed a big market share, there are other problems.
Yoji Yamada, a celebrated Japanese filmmaker, seems pessimistic with the state of the current Japanese cinema — one of the biggest in Asia.
“Even film master Akira Kurosawa says that the Japanese movies of today cannot match the golden years of filmmaking in the 1950s,”Yamada says with a groan.
“Compared with the boom in Korean films, the artistic qualities found today in Japanese films show that they are undoubtedly in decline.”
As the Asian cinema moves ahead with both hope for the future and current difficulties to be overcome, the 10 entries vying for the Asian New Talent Award provide a vivid picture of the state of today’s Asian film industry.
The award ceremony is scheduled for tonight and the winner will receive a 300,000-yuan bonus.
All made by young Asian directors, the 10 works include two Chinese mainland films: Fang Gangliang’s “The Story of Xiao Yan” and Ning Hao’s “Mongolian Pingpong.” Then there is South Korea’s “My Brother” and Indonesia’s “The Rainmaker.”
Female Hong Kong director Wong Chun-chun has her “Six Strong Guys” in the competition. The movie discusses in a humorous way what males today can do to cope with the stresses of life.
This year’s young directors have confidence in competing with Hollywood blockbusters. “It’s a trend that films go international,” says Wong.
“Actually, the Hollywood movies which aim to reach the biggest audience usually follow a strict formula. Many Hollywood directors today are less creative and some even remake Asian hits. Why should we have confidence in our own distinctive works?”
Wong is echoed by Anup Kurian, director of the Indian entry, “Manasarovar.” “India’s Bollywood annually makes over 800 movies in 20-plus languages,” Kurian says. “A large number of these films are rooted in national trends, myths and cultures. With strong Indian flavors, they’re  applauded by large Asian audiences despite the attraction of big Hollywood productions.”