Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 535, Section 533: The Bloodline of the Regular Army

Los Angeles time, March 6, 2004, 9:00 AM.

In the conference room of the Peninsula Hotel suite, a core meeting that would determine the final tone and initial framework of the "Chinese American Film Festival" was drawing to a close.

On one side of the long conference table was the core team of Eagle Dragon Media, led by Su Yantao. Their faces showed fatigue from days of hard work, but their eyes were filled with unprecedented excitement and awe.

On the other side were Zhao Jingsong, Director of Shengying International Business Department, Chief Financial Advisor, and two senior experts in charge of legal and structuring, brought by Wang Sheng.

The air was thick with caffeine and an almost solid atmosphere, a blend of capital and power.

“In conclusion,” Zhao Jingsong closed his tablet and glanced at Su Yantao, “based on the consensus reached by Chairman Wang and the four co-initiators, and the legal framework provided by Burns Law Firm, the organizational structure and core operating mechanism of the first Sino-American Film Festival have been basically clarified.”

He spoke at a steady pace and with clear logic:

"I. Organizing Entity: The 'China-US Film Culture Exchange Foundation,' a non-profit organization registered in California, will serve as the legal organizer of the film festival."

The foundation's board of directors consists of ten members, as follows:

Wang Sheng (Chairman of Shengying Media Group, core investor and strategist)
Su Yantao (Head of Eagle Dragon Media, Local Execution and Community Resource Coordination)
Richard Walter (Dean of the UCLA School of Film and Drama, an academic authority and representative of the education system)

Mark Johnson (Core producer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, insider on the Hollywood industry system and awards rules)

John Burns (Senior Partner, William Morris Endeavour, specializing in legal, capital, and top artist resources)

Joan Chen (International film star, a cross-cultural icon and expert in artistic quality control)

Richard Lopet (Co-founder of CAA, Top Talent Brokerage Resource)

Barry Mayer (Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, representative of the six major Hollywood studios)
Harvey Weinstein (co-founder of Miramax Films, godfather of independent film and Oscar PR)

Robert Shea (CEO and Chairman of New Line Cinema, representative of strategic partners and core content suppliers)
(A number of seats are reserved) for official representatives designated by the Chinese film authorities and the US film authorities who will be introduced in the future.

Chairman Wang Sheng has the power to veto special resolutions of the board of directors.

Su Yantao nodded silently, having no objection to the arrangement.

Being able to join the board of directors at this level is a leap he never dared to imagine in the past.

"II. Executive Body: A permanent secretariat will be established to be responsible for daily operations. The secretary-general will be a senior manager dispatched by Shengying International Business Department, and Yinglong Media will send an executive team to be responsible for specific implementation. The appointment of all key department heads must be finally approved by Chairman Wang."

III. Core Sections:
1. The main competition section, the 'Golden Angel Award', features twelve awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The jury is chaired by Professor Richard Walter, and its members are nominated by ten board members, ensuring international perspective and professional authority.

2. Film Market: Held at a different time from AFM (American Film Market), with a focus on creating a trading platform for Sino-US co-production projects.

Mr. Barry Mayer will push Warner Bros. to bring in A-list productions. Meanwhile, Mr. Robert Shea has pledged that New Line Cinema will present one or two key co-productions or films with cross-cultural potential for their first round of financing in the global or Asian film markets, and will open up its established independent film distribution network.

3. High-level Forum: UCLA, as the academic organizer, will focus on cutting-edge topics such as 'The Integration of the Film Industry under Globalization', 'The Challenges of the Streaming Era', and 'Cross-cultural Expression of Genre Films'.

4. Emerging Talent Project: This project is specifically designed for emerging Chinese and Asian filmmakers. Winning projects will receive no less than US$500,000 in seed funding from Shengying Media and will have priority access to the Shengying system for incubation.

5. Masterclasses and cultural exchange activities: Led by Ms. Joan Chen, these events will invite top filmmakers from China and the United States to engage in in-depth dialogues and workshops.

6. Opening/Closing Films: The opening film for the inaugural film festival is tentatively intended to be a landmark work that reflects the depth of Sino-US cooperation.

Zhao Jingsong paused and looked at Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"IV. Funding Guarantee: The initial five million US dollars of start-up funding promised by Shengying Media will be officially transferred to the foundation's co-managed account this afternoon."

Moving forward, we will launch our first round of commercial sponsorship programs targeting global brands, and Mr. John Burns has provided a list of key channels. The film festival's long-term goal is to achieve operational break-even within three years and establish a cultural fund within five years to achieve self-sufficiency.

As Su Yantao listened to these crystal-clear plans, each with a starting point so high it made him dizzy, he felt as if he had suddenly been stuffed into the cockpit of a space shuttle. Although he was flustered and overwhelmed, he was surrounded by a vast starry sky.

His original vision for a community film festival seemed so insignificant, even somewhat laughable, in the face of this behemoth.

“President Su,” Wang Sheng finally spoke, his voice breaking the last silence in the conference room, “The structure and direction have been set. The specific execution, especially the coordination of local resources, the final confirmation of the venue, the recruitment of volunteers, and the pre-event promotion by local media, these tedious but crucial tasks will require your and your team’s full commitment.”

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.

"Please rest assured, Chairman Wang!" Su Yantao stood up almost reflexively, his voice trembling with excitement. "The entire Eagle Dragon team will do our utmost to ensure the first film festival is a resounding success and will never let you down!"

Wang Sheng nodded, a faint, encouraging smile on his face: "I believe in your abilities. The details will be handled by Director Zhao's team. I'll only review the progress reports for key milestones."

Just then, there were a few restrained knocks on the conference room door.

Zhao Jingsong's assistant pushed open the door and walked briskly but solemnly to Zhao Jingsong's side. He whispered a few words to him and handed him a folder.

Zhao Jingsong quickly flipped through the files in the folder, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He then stood up and presented the files to Wang Sheng.

"Mr. Wang, the preliminary box office figures for 'Kung Fu Hustle' on its opening day in North America are in."

All eyes in the conference room instantly focused on the thin document and Wang Sheng's face.

Wang Sheng remained calm as he took the document, his gaze sweeping over the numbers on it.

[Kung Fu Hustle's opening day box office (including midnight screenings): $986 million.]

A silent moment.

He didn't speak, but gently placed the document back on the table and pointed to the number with his finger.

Zhao Jinsong immediately understood and, facing the audience, announced clearly: "Kung Fu Hustle, $986 million on its opening day in North America!"

"Wow—"

A suppressed gasp rose in the conference room, which quickly turned into enthusiastic applause and exclamations!

Su Yantao was so excited that his face turned red, and he clapped his hands vigorously.

He understood the significance of that number all too well!

This is not only a commercial success, but also another powerful testament to the Wang Sheng model and its influence!
With such a brilliant track record as a backing, his confidence in organizing the Sino-American Film Festival instantly increased significantly!
$986!
This has almost guaranteed it the top spot at the box office for the opening weekend, far exceeding New Line Cinema's initial expectations!

Considering the long-running success of its predecessor, "Shaolin Soccer," "Kung Fu Hustle" is highly likely to reach $1 million at the North American box office, and may even challenge $1.5 million!
Wang Sheng stood up, and the applause gradually subsided.

"It seems that North American audiences have voted with their wallets," he said casually. "This also proves that the path we've been following is the right one. By telling our story in a universal language, the market will give us the most direct rewards."

He glanced at Su Yantao: "The purpose of the film festival platform is to allow more of this kind of 'correctness' to be discovered, recognized, and amplified."

"Yes! Yes! Chairman Wang is wise!" Su Yantao replied repeatedly.

Wang Sheng said no more and instructed Zhao Jingsong: "Notify New Line Cinema to increase investment according to the established publicity strategy. The press release in China can be issued, emphasizing that this is another milestone in the industrialization and internationalization of Chinese cinema."

"clear."

(End of this chapter)