CRI听力:Chinese Film Makers Determined to Make Better Films

Tong Gang, deputy director of the State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, says the increase of movie screens in China has contributed to the growth of box office receipts in recent years.

There are now some 17-thousand-600 movie screens here in China, an increase of 45-hundred this year alone.

Box office receipts from Chinese-produced films account for around 55-percent of the overall total.

Despite this, acclaimed Chinese film director Feng Xiaoning says he still believes Chinese film producers have a long way to go. He reveals that a number of Chinese films were not good enough to hit screens, so that they just didn't have the chance to be seen.

His suggestion is being echoed by fellow Chinese film director Ning Hao, whose new film "No Man's Land" was released earlier this month.

"For filmmakers like us, although the industry is still in its initial stages of development, and is somewhat na?ve, we are still seizing the time to improve it. We should use our utmost strength to win back the market from American films. I insist that we should do these things because I feel that only through doing this can we have our own space and opportunity to showcase the cultural life in China and avoid being assimilated by the Americans."

Chinese actor and director Xu Zheng is the man behind the hit film "Lost in Thailand," a production that took in over 1.26-billion yuan, despite costing just a fraction of that to produce. He says that a good film should tell a good story.

"Talking about success of 'Lost in Thailand,' actually I believe under such circumstances, at such an age, at such a moment, I just happened to meet an opportunity. But what made me happy was actually behind the comedy, it still expresses a topic of how can common people live a happier life. I'm glad such a topic could be accepted by the public, and could be echoed by the public. Therefore, I insist we would continue with this topic, and we would continue to express our thoughts on it."

As the New Year approaches, domestic films "Firestorm" starring Andy Lau, "Personal Tailor" starring Ge You and "Police Story 2013" starring Jackie Chan are scheduled for release.

Industry observers are suggesting those films may push Chinese box office receipts over 22-billion yuan by year's end.

For CRI, I'm Zhang Ru.