In the frame of a return to the physical space, the Marché du Film together with the Sino-European producers association Bridging the Dragon together will reshape their traditional event dedicated to China in the form of a case-studies seminar, presenting to the participants successful experiences in different areas of the industry. The event will be held from 9:30-11:30 (CET Time) on May 20^th at the Marina Stage and online.

In course of the pandemic, the Chinese film market has continued to develop but in a general direction of independency. Covid, travel limitations and geopolitical tensions have made this massive market more unpredictable than before. It’s therefore not surprising to see from many sides in Europe a new and growing skepticism on the possible collaboration with China in the area of audiovisuals.

However, with an enormous media landscape and the ever-growing demand for content, China – with a box office expected to reach $16.5 Billion by 2026 – will still represent the biggest potential audience for audiovisuals and provide massive opportunities. The latest five-year plan drafted by the Chinese central authorities calls explicitly for an enhancement of the international exchange of artistic and technical expertise, the promotion of Chinese quality films on the main international markets and the encouragement of co-productions. The key is still finding the right projects able to resonate with that audience.

For this purpose, the seminar will invite European and Chinese speakers to share their experience in four different key areas: Cedric Berhel, managing director of UK based Trinity Cine Asia, on the distribution of high-end Chinese films in Europe; director / producer Cristiano Bortone, CEO of Orisa Produzioni, on the experience of co-producing the soon to be released Sino-Italian-German The Italian Recipe; Natacha Devillers, founder of Shanghai-based China Blue Films, on the shooting of Sino-French docu-fiction Pekingman: The Latest Secret of HUMANITY, co-produced with Chinese broadcaster CCTV; Danxia You, manager of International Acquisition and Sales at leading Chinese company Beijing HY Media, on distributing international films in mainland China.

Guillaume Esmiol, Co-Executive Director at the Marché du Film states: “In challenging times like these, we should never forget how important films are to help people communicate and understand each other through stories and emotions. We still see the continuous effort that we have been putting in the Bridging the dragon event as a contribution to make different films communities closer to each other and help mutual understanding between the Chinese and European markets”