Film, TV industry expo brings creativity to city

Its annual gathering for the film and television industry has become a magnet for Qingdao, Shandong province, to attract professionals, technologies and capital, local officials said.

By organizing a series of activities including forums, lectures, roadshows and exhibitions, the third session of the Qingdao Film and Television Expo, that ended on Oct 17, provided a platform for trade in films and TV programs, and exchanges in technologies and creative resources.

An important part of the expo was a signing ceremony for 20 companies and institutes to move to a 5G high- and new-tech video pilot park jointly built by the Qingdao government and the National Radio and Television Administration.

The expo also released a blue paper on the global film industrial development this year. More than 120 senior experts and scholars in the fields of culture, media, film and television from home and abroad discussed cooperation in film production, distribution, copyright trading, intellectual property and other related issues.

Qingdao is a popular shooting location for many filmmakers and directors due to its eye-catching coastal landscape, European-style architecture and well-preserved heritage.

The city's West Coast New Area, where the film expo is held, is home to the Oriental Movie Metropolis, one of the largest film studio complexes in the world. Blockbusters shot there include The Wandering Earth and Pacific Rim: Uprising.

As of September, more than 4,000 film and television companies and supporting enterprises had registered in the new area, including China Television Industrial Group, Huayi Brothers and Dadi Cinema.

Some 200 films and TV programs have been shot there, with a total investment of nearly 200 billion yuan ($31.34 billion).

In addition to its natural advantages, the Qingdao government's preferential policies and financial support have contributed to the vigorous development of its film and television industry.

In 2014, the city government proposed to set up a fund to support the industry. It also issued related implementation plans and management measures with more details over the past two years.

To date, more than 160 million yuan has been offered in subsidies to companies and producers. Two blockbuster films, The Great Wall and The Wandering Earth, for example, received subsidies of 16 million yuan and 4.12 million yuan, respectively.

In August, the city's new area widened its policies promoting the film and television industry to cover the entire industrial chain, which comprises companies, key projects, cultural communication activities, financing, talent attraction and training, and the construction of one-stop service centers.

The Qingdao government aims to make the city one of the largest and busiest film production hubs in China. Commenting on this goal, Zhang Yimou, a renowned Chinese director, said, "Qingdao has great assets and advantages when it comes to establishing one of the country's largest shooting bases.

"Its climate is pretty good, the transportation is very convenient, and the people there are very welcoming."

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn

Qingdao Film Academy is unveiled at the city's West Coast New Area in mid-October. CHINA DAILY