Latest update April 1st, 2015 6:34 PM
Bridging the Dragon – Starting in Berlin
BERLIN Feb 10, 2026 – Launched by producers for producers, Bridging the Dragon has offices in Berlin and Shanghai. According to Lorna Tee, one of its founders, it aims to connect high-profile producers in Europe and China for a better understanding of the two markets.
Join the panel “Co-producing between EU and China” today are Jeffrey Chan, COO of China’s Bona Film Group; producer Shi Nansun, Founder of Distribution Workshop; Martin Moszkowicz, Chairman of the Executive Board of Constantin Film AG; and X Filme co-founder Stefan Arndt, producer of CLOUD ATLAS, THE WHITE RIBBON, GOOD BYE LENIN! and RUN LOLA RUN. Variety’s Patrick Frater serves as the moderator.
Why people gather during the busy Berlinale and EFM for such a forum? Shi Nansun has a number of solid reasons: as China’s market kept expanding the last 12 years, lots of people are getting interested in this unprecedented growth – box office has grown by double digits – not just in film, but in the economy and trade in general. China as a nation can not be ignored anymore. In terms of co-production, the Americans are very strong and active, so as the French, but other European voices are still yet to be heard. It is hoped that this forum can help producers find more business possibilities. Shi Nansun is the pioneer in Hong Kong – Mainland China co-productions back in the 1990s and she acted as the jury member in major film festivals like Cannes.
Stefan Arndt agrees that with a long history of culture, China is such a big market culture. Together, filmmakers from Europe and China can do high-profile movies for the international market. There could more possibilities for indie productions, too.
It is proven that to make co-production films is an effective way to bypass China’s quota system on imported films, but how to make co-production?
A co-production treaty signed by governments definitely helps. So far, China has signed such treaties with South Korea, India, France, Belgium, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain and Canada. Negotiations with Russia, Brazil, Greece, Iran, the Netherlands and Malta are on going. Martin Moszkowicz states that there have been some efforts to realize a co-production treaty between Germany and China; hopefully producers can help to bring this to reality soon.
Jeffrey Chan shares his experiences in HK-Mainland co-productions that the China market is rather young and not as sophisticated. The industry is still learning and finding its way in the big world. Things are changing everyday, even those working in Mainland China needs to update their knowledge about the market daily.
The cultural difference is an issue that no one could avoid, but Moszkowicz holds the interesting thing lies in diversity. He believes that the biggest strength of Europe is that the cultures are not the same – the more differences, the more interesting. These differences can bring huge assets in co-productions if you dig deep.
Shi Nansun continues to state that the government’s policy shift in early 2000s led to a number of phenomenal changes in 2003 and onwards. Previously, top commercial films in Mainland China were more often created by Hong Kong directors whereas directors in Mainland China very quickly learned how to make commercial films. In recent years, low budget films directed by actors and writers become surprising blockbusters, like LOST IN THAILAND and SO YOUNG. Shi jokingly admits, “We have culture, but we have a new kind of popular culture” when referring to the unseen popularity of a “film” adapted from a variety show “DAD, WHERE ARE WE GOING?”
It is noticed that there is lots of soft money in Europe, but Shi reveals the truth that Chinese production teams are often just looking for new exotic locations than film funds, because everything is moving so quickly and they don’t bother to investigate. Patrick Frater also recalled that delegations came to Hong Kong years ago but got answers subtly translated like “We don’t need the money; we need projects.”
Nevertheless, there is plenty of room for fantastic stories. “Although not historically proven, there are sayings the Romans were once in China. An Italian novelist wrote on this topic. Besides, China and Europe have many interactions – from Tang Dynasty on, trading has been very active. And then in Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, there were missionaries became senior officials in the Chinese government,” says Shi.
Jeffrey agrees with the need for good stories and talents. He says: “Who else can make a different poster?” – In the current Chinese film industry, sometimes, companies have but one choice to make a trailer or poster – every company then comes up with the promotional materials in the same style. Various creative minds are in need in China.
The industry gathering continues with a series of case studies shared by producer Lorna Tee and Isabelle Glachant, also head of the China office of Unifrance, who just finished a forum at Paris Image Cinema – Industrie du rêve.
It is the authorities that decide the release date of imported films. The Golden Bear winner BLACK COAL, THIN ICE is almost the first art-house film that has won as much as 16 million USD at the box office, partly because the authorities were really supportive. Lorna says she spent time with the BLACK COAL team in Beijing, who gathered all the best film critics in one room to talk about the film’s merits. There also had been instructions from above that it is important to give this film more screening slots to show that award-winning films can be appreciated in China.
But the BLIND MASSAGE was not that lucky – winning 6 awards at the Golden Horse did not help boost its box office, which ended up 0.21 million USD.
Glachant also shares with the audience the curious case of DAD, WHERE ARE WE GOING? and the audiences are amused by the particularity of this “family movie”.
One of the producers of director Ning Hao’s first blockbuster CRAZY STONE, Lorna Tee comments that after 4 years and 9 cuts of NO MAN’S LAND, Ning Hao decided to make a film with no censorship problem and that film is BREAKUP BUDDIES, China’s highest grossing local film in 2014, harvesting 188 million USD. The film has a production budget of 8 million USD and an equal amount of P&A budget.
Bridging the Dragon is organized by European Network Capital Regions for Cinema (CRC), and is supported by Germany’s Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg Film Fund, D’Hive, Nederlands Filmfonds, and Goethe-Institut China. It is expected to launch networking gatherings for its members and provide information and consultancy all the year round.
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