联合制作电影是世界电影的未来

Walt Disney has announced that it will co-produce and distribute "Iron Man 3" in China, which marks the start of overall and deep co-production between China and the United States. The Walt Disney Company China will partner with Marvel Studios and DMG Entertainment of Beijing.

Stephen Jenner, a consultant at the Motion Picture Association of America, says the reason for the cooperation with China is obvious.

"'The Iron Man requires new exotic locations to influence the story, and China provides a wonderful backdrop for a big budget action adventure. It could be great. And I am sure that the studio that is making 'The Iron Man' is very happy to have a Chinese partner investing with them."

Tong Gang, Director-General of the Film Bureau at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, says China has many advantages in filmmaking and co-producing. It has its rich cultural heritage, abundant geographic resources and low-cost human resources. He believes there is great market potential for Chinese film co-productions.

Li Qiankuan, Chairman of the China Film Association, points out that in the recent years, film co-productions have probably been the best way for Chinese movies to go global.

"Film co-productions will help us strengthen international communication and cooperation. And I believe that film is the best way to do that. Looking at what we have done so far, I think making more film co-productions will be a good way to develop China's film industry and take more Chinese films abroad."

The number of films co-produced by China and other countries has increased over the past few years as the low cost of making movies here has become more appealing for overseas filmmakers.

Roxanne Messina Captor, who has been the executive director of the San Francisco International Film Festival for the last six years and the director and producer of Messina Captor Film and Television Production, agrees that one important reason companies seeks opportunities to cooperate with China is its huge market and the possiblity great revenue.

However, in her minds, she also belives the benefits for both parties in a film co-production are more than just box office revenue figures.

"One of the things we would see is that a film could reach people so much quicker. And it touches people's souls and gets them to understand culture so much quicker than anything else."
 
China is still in a nascent stage of film co-production. But many industry professionals hope that in the future more films with Chinese elements will be made with advanced technology and produced internationally.

For CRI, I'm Wang Tianyi.