Moviegoers feast on more diversified 2024 cinematic line-up

This year's cinematic line-up in Chinese box office has proved a feast for Zhou Lin — a satisfied cinephile who has already watched more than 10 foreign productions in brick-and-mortar theaters till June.

These imported movies include French Oscar-winning crime drama "Anatomy of a Fall," US documentary "Kim's Video," and dystopian war thriller "Civil War" — and counting.

The 2024 selection of foreign films is much richer in terms of genre and content than before when imported movies were dominantly those churned out in Hollywood, Zhou said.

Diverse choices

According to an official tally, at least 30 imported films have been released in Chinese mainland cinemas this year. While these films come from mulitiple countries and regions, they also cover a range of genres, like sci-fi, action, animation and drama.

Yu Chao, deputy general manager of Beijing's Capital Cinema chain, said that ticket sales for imported films have accounted for about 15 percent of the chain's total revenue since the start of 2024.

Legendary Pictures' "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" is among the top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland so far this year, with nearly 1 billion yuan (about 140 million US dollars) in ticket sales. Other top earners include Oscar-winning animation "The Boy and the Heron" and sci-fi epic "Dune: Part Two."

The momentum of cultural diversity and exchange on the silver screen has rolled into major film events in China.

During the 2024 Beijing International Film Festival, a selection of more than 250 outstanding Chinese and foreign films were screened across 27 partnership theaters and venues.

Featuring a total of 461 films from various countries and regions, the recently-concluded Shanghai International Film Festival offered another audiovisual treat for Chinese moviegoers.

Among those enjoying the Shanghai film festival was FilmHouse, a content creator based in the city of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. And he found that his two-hour journey to Shanghai has been truly rewarding.

"I managed to get tickets for 19 films with the help of my family members and friends. The most delightful was Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction,'" he said. "The festival's list of imported films is very diverse, and it is definitely a carnival for movie fans."

During the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in May, Mao Yu, deputy director of the China Film Administration, pledged further efforts to import films in more diversified genres from more countries.

Going global

While domestic moviegoers in China are enjoying a more international and culturally diverse line-up on silver screen, the opportunities for film enthusiasts in other countries to watch Chinese movies are also increasing.

At Cannes, Chinese director Guan Hu's drama "Black Dog" was granted the Un Certain Regard award, and several other Chinese films competed in various festival categories, including "Caught by the Tides" and "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In." Over 180 Chinese films were brought to the festival for transaction, a number that drew wide attention.

"After a partial comeback in 2023, Chinese cinema is returning to this year's 77th Cannes Film Festival in a major way," said a review on American entertainment media outlet the Hollywood Reporter.

Earlier this year, animated fantasy "Deep Sea" was released in over 500 French cinemas, totaling 10,000-plus screenings and shattering the record for a Chinese animated film released in France.

The popularity of Chinese films was also seen following the release of mythological epic "Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms," which was screened in 140 French cinemas, and following the North American release of Chinese hit comedy "YOLO," the exclusive overseas release rights of which were purchased by Sony Pictures.

While art films have long been a mainstay of Chinese cinematic productions in terms of going global, recent years have also witnessed many domestic sci-fi and animated films receiving growing attention and recognition around the world, said renowned Chinese director Jia Zhangke.

In recent years, collaboration between China and other countries and regions on movie production has been deepened. A prominent example is the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, which has seen its membership grow to 55 institutions in 48 countries and regions.

"I look forward to seeing more interactions between Chinese films and outstanding productions from other countries, thus injecting more vigor into Chinese films," China Film Critics Association President Rao Shuguang said.