Shanghai-London forum strengthens screen industry dialogue

The 2023 Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum, held in the British capital on Saturday, marked a renewed wave of dialogue and collaboration between the film and television sectors of China and the United Kingdom, attracting over 150 professionals.

The event, organized by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism and the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Radio and Television, and hosted by Phoenix Television, encompassed screenings of exceptional Chinese television projects alongside panel discussions.

Rupert Daniels, director of services and skills of the UK's Department for Business and Trade, told China Daily that both China and the UK "are winning on the global stage" because the two nations not only share a tradition of storytelling but also have identified the creative industry as one of the pillar industries.

He also said his department is keen on further strengthening the trading relationship between China and the UK, noting positive signals from recent successive visits by Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Minister of State for Business and Trade Dominic Johnson to Beijing.

"It was wonderful to see the welcome that our foreign secretary received. Our investment minister Lord Johnson also brought a delegation to the China International Fair for Trade in Services. The UK was the guest of honor for the CIFTIS show, and that was a great honor for the UK," said Daniels.

"There has always been a great history of trade collaboration between the UK and China, and that remains true today. In fact, we are looking to strengthen that," he added. "Taking the forum today as an example, we think about how we can find more opportunities for the UK companies to collaborate with the Chinese side, and how we can learn from each other. This is about a two-way partnership that we at the Department for Business and Trade wants to facilitate."

The UK government official confirmed that his department would organize a trade mission to China next year, focusing on the television sector.

Luo Yi, deputy chief of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism and the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Radio and Television, highlighted Shanghai's pivotal role in China's cinematic landscape. He emphasized that Shanghai, the birthplace of Chinese cinema, continues to stand as a leading hub for film and television production in the country.

Shanghai's relationship with film began as early as 1896 when the world's first ever motion picture, produced by the Lumiere brothers, was brought to the city for a screening in a private garden.

This form of entertainment swiftly gained popularity among locals, setting Shanghai on a path of numerous cinematic milestones. The city can proudly lay claim to China's first commercial film theater and to be the birthplace of the nation's inaugural sound film and color movie.

"London also serves as the epicenter for creative industries and digital technology development in the UK. As civilization thrives through communication, I hope that the (forum) event today can contribute to closer cooperation and greater understanding between Shanghai and London, China and the UK," Luo said.

Hu Ge, a well-known Chinese actor and overseas promotion ambassador for Chinese TV dramas, said film and television productions have the power to transcend cultural barriers as the stories and humanity encompassed can touch the hearts of audiences worldwide.

"Therefore, we should all think deeply about what kind of content this industry truly needs to deliver to the audiences," he said.

The actor also spoke about his role in the soon-to-be released television series, Blossoms Shanghai. Filmed entirely in Shanghai and primarily in Shanghainese dialects, it tells the tumultuous journey of an enigmatic self-made entrepreneur during the rapid economic growth of China in the 1990s.

In addition to a series of Shanghai related projects, either filmed in the city or made by its producers, the forum also showcased several China-UK co-productions, including Planet Earth III, the final episode of the documentary trilogy Plant Earth produced by BBC Studios.

This latest installment will also soon be available on Bilibili, a leading Chinese video-sharing website based in Shanghai, according to Vice President of Bilibili Zhang Shengyan.