The Shanghai International Film Festival will add a film market to its 10th edition in June in a bid to stimulate co- productions with China, organizers said Thursday in Los Angeles.
“We expect there to be more worldwide attention than ever this year with the introduction of our new initiatives and the added attraction of the celebrations for the festival’s 10th anniversary,” said Yan Kang, executive vice chairwoman of SIFF’s organizing committee and vp at Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group.
Specifics about how SIFF, which runs June 16-24, will conduct its first market were not available.
Hosted each June by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the Shanghai government, SIFF competes regionally with other big film festivals, including those in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Pusan, South Korea.
SIFF is one of the only venues on the mainland to legally watch many imported films on the big screen, making it a favorite with Chinese. Organizers said they hope to build on last year’s 200 screenings of films from 60 countries, which sold 240,000 tickets. Toward that end, they are adding audience awards for Chinese and international films, they said.
Organizers also hope to repeat the success of SIFF’s first China-Europe co-production forum, which they said resulted in 11 co-production deals, and to draw the same caliber of international guests.
Last year, directors Anthony Minghella and Ang Lee addressed filmmakers gathered to hear advice about their craft.
