China Entertainment’s rescue plan is hard to come by

Chapter 934 What You Say Comes True
In April, spring is in full swing in Beijing.

When I left, the ground was covered in snow, but when I came back, all the trees along the street had sprouted new buds.

However, no matter what, it's still more comfortable to stay in the country.

Sun Yi and Liu Yifei, who had been jet-lagged all day, still showed a slight weariness on their faces when they woke up in the morning, but they were already full of energy.

"Are you crazy, so early in the morning?!"

"What's the difference between early morning and late night? I have to go out in a bit, I'm running out of time."

"Suit yourself. But be careful, I have to go shopping with Changchang this afternoon."

"Ah, I certainly won't bother you."

Wait a minute, I'm going to the study to look at a movie preview. How could that possibly bother you?
Sun Yi looked completely bewildered. "Honey, don't you think our conversation just now was a bit ambiguous?"

"What is it? You go ahead and don't bother me."

Liu Yifei quickly pulled the blanket up over her head, and only after Sun Yi walked out of the bedroom with a puzzled look did she peek out, her cheeks flushed, and let out a soft hum.

I just got back to China, and it was early in the morning. I was hoping to cuddle and be affectionate in bed for a while, but who would have thought that someone would be so clueless about romance.

Don't even think about it again!
As for whether Sun Yi had any thoughts, of course he did, after all, he's a man, but he really had important business to attend to today.

As the legitimate initiator of the third "Emerging Asian Directors" program, how could he not show up at the final selection event?

He was watching film previews, specifically those that had made it to the final round of judging. As one of the judges, he needed to at least understand them and offer some commentary; otherwise, it wouldn't be fair.

Even last-minute preparation can be effective.

However, I ended up disappointing my wife's "good intentions".

There's nothing we can do; the timing just happened to be so coincidental.

Sun Yi regretted not saying it.

At 9 a.m., the Starry Sky Image Multifunctional Conference Hall was the venue for the final judging of this year's "Asian New Star Director" competition.

Compared to the exploration and experimentation of the previous two editions, with Lu Yang's "Brotherhood of Blades" as a representative and making a name for itself, Starry Sky's "Asian New Director" has become a highly anticipated incubator for young directors in the industry.

The atmosphere at the final review was lively, even a bit crowded. Long tables were piled high with thick project proposals, and young faces from all over the country, some nervous, some confident, presented their ideas and dreams.

Offstage, on the judges' panel, besides Sun Yi, the host and initiator, the appearance of two other big names also attracted everyone's attention—Section Chief Jia and Ning Hao.

Two outstanding directors who have both made remarkable achievements in the film and television industry.

"Sun Yi, your 'New Star Guide' project has grown bigger and bigger, much more successful than my project." Section Chief Jia adjusted his glasses, looking at the vibrant scene below the stage, his tone filled with emotion.

Sun Yi replied modestly, "No, no, it's all about supporting the younger generation. It's mainly these young directors who are the real talents, and their ideas are all incredibly ambitious."

Sun Yi pointed to a stack of project proposals in front of him, recalling the sci-fi version of "Teahouse" he had just watched that morning, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

They are all talents!

Ning Hao grinned, habitually fiddling with the large gold chain around his neck. "The most crucial thing is whether it can be implemented. These young people are not lacking in creativity; they can always create something that catches the eye and bring something new to genre films. But if no one invests in it in the end, then it's all nonsense."

"We still see Lu Yang as a role model. The success of 'Brotherhood of Blades' has shown a clear path for these young directors."

"However, I must admit that you had a really sharp eye back then. You dared to invest in a martial arts film that nobody would watch. Looking back now, it was a huge success."

Sun Yi smiled, picked up a bottle of mineral water and took a sip. "It's all thanks to everyone's respect and the hard work of these young directors. Besides, everyone's in the same boat in this environment. We all went through the same thing back then, and there were even fewer opportunities."

These words resonated with the two men, who fell into a brief silence. Looking at the group of young people excited about their film dreams, they felt as if they were seeing their younger selves.

The only slightly strange thing was that Sun Yi, who was sitting next to them, was only a few years older than some of the participating directors in the audience, or even younger, yet his heartfelt remarks didn't make the two of them feel out of place at all.

In recent years, the Chinese film market has expanded at an astonishing rate, with the number of screens growing wildly and capital pouring in. Genre experimentation and technological breakthroughs that were once out of reach are now possible.

“Speaking of the overall environment,” Ning Hao suddenly remembered something, his tone somewhat complicated yet relieved, “My novel, ‘No Man’s Land,’ has been through so many years of revisions, and finally… finally it can see the light of day.”

No Man's Land?
Sun Yi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then realized what he meant and his eyes widened suddenly: "Holy crap! 'No Man's Land'! Old Ning, I almost forgot about it! Your film..."

After saying that, Sun Yi started counting on his fingers, "I remember back then, we hadn't known each other for very long, and you said you wanted to make this Western road movie, and then it was banned from being shown. It's been so many years!"

Sun Yi realized that this movie seemed to have been made not long after he and Liu Tianxian started dating, and now he had already married Liu Tianxian.

Ning Hao gave a wry smile, his smile full of vicissitudes: "That's right, back then you were just a single director who had just gained some fame, while Director Sun on set already had a family." "However, the process was a bit bumpy, but it's finally out. Well, it should be released by the end of the year."

“That’s not bad either.” Section Chief Jia took over the conversation, his tone more even, as if he were used to it. “Being able to release it is a victory. Movies, after all, are ultimately meant to be seen by the audience. Just like my film this year, ‘A Touch of Sin,’ it also had its share of bumps and stumbles.”

A Touch of Sin?
Sun Yi began to recall the plot of the movie.

After remembering, his expression changed.

Well, this one is even more ruthless than No Man's Land, so it's basically hopeless.

"If it doesn't work out domestically, how about we try our luck with the lottery?"

Sun Yi offered his advice.

It's not really a suggestion; these sixth-generation players have always played it this way.

As expected, Section Chief Jia nodded in reply, "It has already been sent to Cannes. As for the result, we'll have to wait and see next month."

When Cannes is mentioned, the conversation naturally turns to this long-established European film festival.

Ning Hao leaned back in his chair and casually remarked, "It's strange, really. It's almost the end of April, and apart from Spielberg, the jury president who was announced a long time ago, there's still no word on the other jury members. It's not like previous years."

Sun Yi pondered: "Usually, the list is announced two months in advance, or at least one month in advance. The fact that it's so secretive this year suggests that the organizing committee is coordinating and communicating privately. After all, if the list is announced in advance, it would be embarrassing if the invited people couldn't come due to scheduling conflicts or other reasons. They definitely need to finalize everything privately before making a unified official announcement."

“That’s true, it’s a matter of face.” Ning Hao agreed. “Anyone who receives an invitation is someone important. If we don’t communicate well beforehand, we’re doomed. It’s been dragging on for so long, so it’s probably still a matter of choosing the right people.”

"Yes, that's probably it," Section Chief Jia agreed.

"Why didn't the organizing committee invite me? I could have turned down all the scheduling conflicts."

"Tch, you're dreaming!"

"Get out of here! What makes you think you can do this? Just because you have a big gold chain?"

Sun Yi and Section Chief Jia spoke in unison, both looking at Ning Hao with disdain.

"Hey, just kidding. Look at you two, you have absolutely no sense of humor."

Ning Hao's sarcastic remark made Sun Yi and Section Chief Jia shake their heads in disbelief.

The three chatted for a while longer about their views on the new project before the selection process continued.

Looking at the group of spirited young directors, Sun Yi pondered the future film and television plans of Starry Sky Pictures. As for the Cannes jury, he treated it as a minor incident and temporarily put it out of his mind.

After a busy day, the selection event has come to a successful conclusion, identifying several highly promising projects and directors. Starry Sky's dedicated staff will follow up on these projects.

Sun Yi returned home, feeling slightly tired. As soon as he entered the door, he saw Liu Yifei standing there with her hands behind her back, as if hiding something. Her eyes were wide open, and she looked eager to greet him.

"What... what's going on?"

Sun Yi felt that Liu Tianxian was planning to assassinate him to avenge the morning's incident!

"Honey, you're amazing!"

"Ah! How wonderful!"

As she spoke, Liu Yifei pulled out a letter with gilded lettering from behind her back. "I just received it when I got home this afternoon. It came from France!"

France?

Sun Yi was truly bewildered; he didn't know anyone in France.

He took the envelope; it felt quite heavy in his hand.

"Dear Director Sun Yi:"

In recognition of your outstanding achievements in the international film industry and your unique artistic vision, we cordially invite you to serve as a jury member for the main competition section of the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

This year's film festival will be held from May 15th to 26th. The jury president will be director Steven Spielberg.
We believe that your participation will bring valuable insights to the decision-making process of this year's Cannes Film Festival.

The organizing committee of the 66th Cannes International Film Festival.

(End of this chapter)