China Entertainment started from Nortel 2002

Chapter 337 Ending in Venice, co-production

The award ceremony begins with the Horizon Unit.

It was the early morning of September 2012, 9, Imperial City time.

There was a huge crowd in the awards hall.

Li Mu, who was sitting in front of the rostrum, was listening to the host's evaluation of the film review task by the Horizon judges in the audience.

"I feel like I caught up with a good vintage in Venice, and I'm as lucky as a good red wine. Li, the chairman of the jury, is very easy to get along with. I'm happiest to have met a group of like-minded judges. They are busy exchanging addresses and phone numbers every day. This is A job where you’re on vacation 70% of the time.”

Lebanese actress and film producer Nadine Labaki replied.

"Are you serious?"

Li Mu asked with a laugh, and the other judges were also secretly laughing.

The people in the audience didn't know why.

"Oh, Lee, I admit it, this is not a job where you are on vacation 70% of the time. This is a movie summer camp. 70% of the job is reviewing films. There are too many movies on the horizon."

Labaki spread his hands. The review task this time was really heavy, mainly because the films in the Horizon section were generally very long.

As soon as these words came out, the audience burst into laughter.

"Lee, I believe you will have more vacation time next time you come to Venice."

Barbera laughed.

The host got to the point, and the awards ceremony for the Horizon Unit officially began.

As the jury award was awarded to "Tango Love", the atmosphere at the scene became solemn.

The best debut film award was awarded to Turkey's "kuf (mold)", and the best short film award was given to "The Invitation". Domestic Tsai Ming-liang's "Diamond Sutra" missed this award.

Coming to Horizon’s final grand prize, the Best Picture Award.

The crew of the main competition unit took a deep breath, because after the awards were handed out, it was their turn.

Li Mu walked to the stage. He was the presenter of this award.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

""Three Sisters" (China)!!!"

As Li Mu finished speaking, Wang Bing in the audience stood up excitedly.

“My partners and I have discussed this award many times, and to give it to this film makes sense from a cinematographic point of view, as it is a wonderful, poetic documentary.

There are too few opportunities for documentaries to be screened in theaters, and I hope awards can also be used as support to help promote them. "

Li Mu said slowly, and the camera also showed the judges in the audience, and everyone nodded.

"Congratulations!!!"

Li Mu handed the trophy to Wang Bing.

"Thank you to the judges for choosing this simple and personal work."

Wang Bing held the trophy with a golden lion embedded in the crystal, choked with tears, and told the origin of his story:

"In 2009, after I finished filming the feature film "Jiabiangou", I went to Yunnan to pay homage to my late writer friend.

On the way back from visiting their mother, I met these three children by chance. I was very hungry at the time, so I went to the three girls' house for a meal. The elder Yingying cooked potatoes for me, which I had never eaten before. Such fragrant potatoes later, when a producer asked me to make a film, the image of these three sisters appeared in my mind."

The awards for the Horizon section are over, and the rest has little to do with Li Mu.

This time, the main competition unit was under the control of the chairman of the jury, Michael Mann, who managed the awards of the entire film festival smoothly, without any shocking situation.

"The Master" won Paul Thomas Anderson the "Best Director Award" and was the first best director in history to win three major international film festivals.

The best actor award at this year's Venice International Film Festival was also won by the cast of "The Master".

The two male protagonists of the play, Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Hoffman, became the double best actors at this year's Venice Film Festival.

The 69th Venice Film Festival came to an end with the song "Arirang" directed by Kim Ki-duk.

Kim Ki-duk, who won the Golden Lion for "Saint", broke the Korean filmmaker's record of zero awards at the three major European film festivals.

"Li, come to Rotterdam another day."

"Li, come to Bangladesh, I will show you my country"

"Come to Macedonia."

With the award ceremony over, the judges will leave tomorrow, and everyone invites Li Mu.

"No problem, just don't pretend you don't know me when the time comes."

"Hahaha, you are still a celebrity in our country. Everyone has seen your movies."

Everyone laughed.

Domestic journalists and media outlets worked hard to pursue Li Mu.

"Don't you need to rest? Aren't you tired from carrying long guns and short cannons all day long?" Li Mu asked helplessly. After the award ceremony, everyone shouldn't be having fun.

"Director Li, the crew of "Saint" next door are being interviewed by the Korean media. Please say a few words."

"I didn't win the award. You should interview Director Wang Bing."

"Hey, there's already someone here."

reporters said shamelessly. “Hurry up.”

"Director Li, if you award Horizon's Best Picture to a domestic film this time, will anyone think you are showing preference?"

Li Mu knew that reporters wanted to ask this.

"This film was selected by many judges. There is no preference. Everyone should have seen the film in Venice. I believe the audience will understand."

Just as Li Mu fell asleep, domestic media reports came out.

"Kim Ki-duk won the Golden Lion for the Chinese-language film "Three Sisters" and is well-known on the horizon."

"There is no preference for "Three Sisters" in winning the award. It is well deserved."

Although the domestic main competition unit failed, the horizon unit was a good reply to the country.

"I just said we should vote for Venice. Look, we won it."

"Okay, it's okay, but there are no movies in the main competition section, so I'm a little disappointed."

“It’s very rare to see a documentary with this kind of practical significance in the cinema. I hope this award can increase its spread.”

The next day, Li Mu had flown back to China and was about to take a two-day rest when an invitation to a movie channel seminar arrived at his door.

"What happened recently?"

Li Mu frowned as he looked at the invitation letter, mainly because it was hosted by the General Administration, so he couldn't refuse.

"This time it should be a matter of Sino-US co-productions."

Liu Weijuan deduced based on the current rumors.

Li Mu was silent, isn't this just a fooling around between the industry and Hollywood, everyone is trying to make money by relying on this co-production spot.

"alright."

Li Mu sighed. Who knows that he is a big producer of co-productions? It can be said that almost half of the Sino-US co-productions are made by him.

"Director Li." Zhang Zhao, CEO of LeTV Pictures, saw Li Mu in front and said hello quickly.

Li Mu turned around and responded: "Mr. Zhang."

"Hey, I'm afraid this meeting will have no impact on Director Li, but it will be miserable for us. China's greater participation in investment and production can still allow domestic film teams to learn the operating mechanism of Hollywood and establish a long-term model suitable for their own development. "

As Zhang Zhao walked, he said with emotion that he really wanted to make a global blockbuster, but if the review was strict, it would not be an ordinary difficulty.

“American filmmakers are just using Chinese elements to make money around the world when they make co-productions.”

Li Mu does not agree with the so-called co-production model of major production companies now.

"Director Li, if you have good investments, you can help LeTV. LeTV is not short of money. As long as you can invest in Director Li's movies, we can negotiate any premium."

Zhang Zhao is very confident in LeTV, which is now at its peak. As long as it can recruit some big directors, LeTV Pictures will have great potential.

"Haha, it's easy to say. As LeTV grows bigger, there will be opportunities."

Li Mu looked careless.

The two of them walked into the hall together.

The seminar was chaired by Deputy Director Zhang Piping.

The theme of the meeting was very clear, and it was actually the issue of Sino-US co-production.

“Looking at the Sino-U.S. co-productions released in recent years, the earlier ones like ‘The Kung Fu King’, ‘2012’, ‘Kung Fu Dreams’, ‘The Martian’ and ‘Gravity’ were basically Chinese-led and dominated by Chinese elements.

However, although the upcoming films such as "Looper," "Cloud Atlas," and "Iron Man 3" all have Chinese elements added to them, they are still dominated by American elements, and most of the plots and values ​​promoted are still Hollywood models."

Zhang Pixi pointed directly at the core issue and admitted that the bureau is currently very worried.

The head of the production company in the audience listened and took notes.

"Director Li, Mengying Media accounts for the majority of Sino-US co-productions. Come and share it with everyone."

Zhang Pixi directly named him.

"Nowadays, there are many foreign films that tell a completely American story. If you invest a small amount of money, add some Chinese elements, and bring in domestic actors, they are called 'co-productions.' In fact, they can only be regarded as 'post-production films.' I think this is Very scary.

All the stipulated elements of a co-production film must be present. It cannot be said that domestic companies invest some money, and some even don’t invest any money, even if it is a co-production film. It cannot be said that adding some domestic elements counts as a co-production. Adding domestic elements is just for market considerations.

For example, every co-production film produced by Mengying Media accounts for at least 30% of the investment, and the leading actors are domestic actors. Part of the filming was entirely done in the country.”

The people and experts from the General Administration nodded repeatedly, this is the co-production they want.

What are these things now.

However, the production companies in the audience complained repeatedly, especially small ones. It is not easy to co-produce, especially if they have to account for more than 30% of the share. Everyone is very tight on good movies.

Especially DMG Vice President Zhang Jingxuan. At this moment, DMG is preparing to seek co-production spots for "Iron Man 3000", which has invested US$3 million. After all, co-productions can get 43% of the box office share. If it is introduced, it will only be 25%.

"What Director Li said is reasonable. At present, due to the injection of domestic funds, some imported films have changed their appearance and entered the mainland market as 'co-productions' without any restrictions. This not only caused a large amount of film investment funds to drain away, but also occupied the market space. Domestic films pose a threat.”

"Co-production films do not account for the proportion of separate films. Their entry into the mainland market is actually equivalent to increasing the share of imported films, which will naturally squeeze the box office of domestic films."

Experts gave full play to their right to advise and repeatedly pointed out at the meeting that the current situation is actually very bad.

(End of this chapter)