Movie fest in Australia opens doors to China cooperation

ADELAIDE, Australia — Chinese and Australian filmmakers deepened cooperation during the Australia China International Film Festival, which closed on Thursday in Adelaide, by saying they will seek to entwine their storytelling better.

"To be even stronger, we have the potential to grow our industry enormously by working with China," said Tony Coombs, CEO of Australia's Harvest Pictures Group, who has been engaged in film and television exchange between the two countries for more than 10 years.

At the opening ceremony on Nov 14, Chinese Consul-General in Adelaide Li Dong said that it was gratifying to see the strengthening of people-to-people exchange and cooperation between China and Australia, and that the festival was a useful means of promoting mutual understanding.

A number of the films screened focused on the social and human landscape of contemporary China and the beauty of Chinese culture, giving Australian audiences a better understanding and greater appreciation of the real, concrete China, Li said.

"Chinese storytelling and script writing are strong, and the production quality gets better all the time," Coombs said, adding that Australia and China need more coproductions.

"China has thousands of years of storytelling, so if you want good stories, and you dig deep into Chinese culture, they are all there. … We have similar values at a basic level, so the only connection we need is to just intertwine the storytelling better," Coombs said.

Citing Monkey King as an example, Coombs said it is a brilliant story, but in order to take the film overseas, the full story needs to be told and produced in a slightly more international way.

Coombs highlighted the importance of the film festival in fostering cultural ties between his country and China, which is crucial to international collaboration in the screen industry, and which provides a rare opportunity to meet talented individuals and understand market trends, storytelling, production, and distribution dynamics.

Former Australian minister for trade, investment and tourism Andrew Robb said he supported legislation to provide incentives for the film industry, and for other countries, including China, to come to Australia and make movies.

"The film festival has transcended cinema. It has served as a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and collaboration between Australia and China," said Robb, who is also the festival's honorary chairman.

Chinese movies have been exploring effective ways to go international in recent years, said Zhou Jiandong, vice-chairman of the China Film Producers' Association, adding that the film festival is of great significance to bilateral cooperation.

Yu Lu, the film festival's chairperson, said at the closing ceremony on Thursday, that it provides a platform for Australian and Chinese filmmakers to demonstrate their creativity, and is particularly supportive of emerging filmmakers, offering them the opportunity to shine on the international stage, and gain inspiration from industry veterans.

The festival is not just a celebration of films, but also a symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and a commitment to nurturing young talent, Yu said.