Latest update October 19th, 2015 11:51 PM
A SIFF Panel About The Influence Of Chinese Film Policy
SHANGHAI June 16, 2025 – The 18th Shanghai International Film Festival today presented a panel of executives and educators regarding Chinese film policies. Alan Baker, Association Dean of Administration & International Projects of USC made a keynote speech to welcome closer collaboration between USC and Chinese schools.
Huang Bin, Talent Agent, Director and Producer; Peng Yu, TV Host and Film Advisor; Ren Zhonglun, President of Shanghai Film Group; Steve Ransohoff, Co-chairman of Film Finances Inc.; Yu Dong, President of Bona Film; Yu Zhiqing, Director of Shanghai Film Production Services and Zhu Huilong, Senior Vice President of Youku Tudou Inc., CEO of Heyi Pictures were among the panelists. The moderator Mei Jianping, Associate Dean of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business was one of the co-organizers. BONA Film Group and Heyi Pictures also supported this panel.
A “Shanghai Film Commission”
Yu Zhiqing said at the panel that to improve or establish filmmaking facilities was Shanghai Film Production Services’ priority. 113 facilities are now provided to filmmakers creating from all walks. While some might worry about the conventional bureaucracy, Yu stated that the efficiency was key: responses shall be given to filmmakers’ requests within 3 days. PEOPLE DAILY recently hailed this organization as the local caretaker of filmmakers.
Little restriction in video sites boosts the business
Zhu Huilong stated that the major challenge in China’s film industry is talent. Everyday, there are 200, 000 new videos created by Youku Tudou users – there is no quota or too much limit in terms of video content. In the past two and half years, the mini-series SURPRISE created by a creative team won 2 billion clicks on Youku Tudou. And this web series is now turning into a feature film, with director Han Han as its artistic advisor. Recently, Youku Tudou did an experiment by drawing cartoon to present a whole script and asking people to watch a moving series of cartoon with background music – it figured if such a form could touch or entertain people, then the film would worth making.
Zhu also shared that gone were the days VOD in China was next to nothing – he mentioned 4 years ago, when INCEPTION was released on Youku, it only received 400 yuan on the first day. However, 4 years later, when the film OLD BOY went online, it raked in 1 million yuan on day one. In 2015, China’s VOD revenue should reach 3 billion RMB, predicted Zhu. Compared with last year, it rose 6 times. Try to imagine the future of China’s VOD: merchandising is also a promising business.
VOD is now offering the audience a diversity of films to watch; it also gives the production company new steady revenue: take FLEET OF TIME as an example, its online distribution right is Youku Tudou 20 million yuan; whereas, in the past, the exclusive online distribution of RED CLIFF cost 1 million yuan only.
Further more, game adaptation from films is another revenue source. Zhu sited JOURNEY TO THE WEST: CONQUERING THE DEMONS as an example: the film’s game adaptation can earn as high as 60 million yuan a month – with an life expectation of 2 to 3 years, this game can theoretically earn 1.8 billion yuan, while the film’s China B.O. is 1.2 billion yuan.
Big corporations also benefit from friendly policies
Professor Ren Zhonglun, head of Shanghai Film Group, pointed out 2 important transitional periods of time in China’s film industry: from 1993 to 1995, during which state-owned studios no long enjoyed monopoly in filmmaking, and from 2001 to 2013, during which 63 macro film policy were made to promote the nation’s film production and distribution.
In October 2014, Shanghai announced 7 new film policies in finance, taxation, real estate, talent, region development and production services, etc. to help boost the city’s film production. 200 million RMB will be allocated each year to build the filmmaking infrastructure in Shanghai.
Ren said it is true that Shanghai Film Group owns cinema circuits, TV stations, publishing house and hotels, etc., it invests in commercial films, but it had also invested in Jia Zhangke’s films, because his films reflects the change of Chinese society and people’s lives. Also, Jia’s films have never been short of buyers. To provide directors with a considerable amount of development fee proves to be a valuable thing to do.
Besides, the government has been providing subsidiary to cinema construction, studio building, and fundamentally, land usage support – to a big company like Shanghai Film Group, favorable land usage policy and price help a great deal. SFG’s cinema circuits and cinemas make a huge sum of profit because we don’t have to pay rent to shopping mall or other real estate businessmen – we own the land.
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