Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang used her keynote at the Beijing International Film Festival to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange between the world’s two largest film markets, sharing her unique perspective as an American-born Chinese film producer who has worked extensively in both industries and spent decades connecting them.
“My personal and professional experiences tell me that film has a unique power to bring people together, and that is why I remain perpetually optimistic about cultural exchange between not only our two nations, but amongst everyone, everywhere in the world,” Yang told attendees. She was speaking at the festival‘s industry forum titled “How High is the Ceiling for China’s Film Market?”
Yang, whose term as Academy president ends in “a few months,” reflected on her pioneering career bringing Chinese cinema to Western audiences and facilitating major Hollywood productions in China, including Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor.”
The Academy chief noted significant underrepresentation of talent from Greater China among the organization’s nearly 11,000 members, despite growing recognition of global cinema exemplified by South Korea’s “Parasite” becoming the first non-English language best picture winner in 2020.
She highlighted key milestones in China’s film industry growth, pointing to Xu Zheng’s “Lost in Thailand” (2012) as a breakthrough that grossed over $200 million on a modest budget and helped push China’s local box office past $1 billion for the first time.
Yang also talked up the recent success of Asian diaspora stories earning major recognition, noting that “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won seven Oscars including best picture, while “Past Lives” and “Minari” both earned best picture nominations. She also pointed to Chinese cinema gaining acclaim, mentioning Guan Hu’s recent “Black Dog,” which won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year.
“These films prove that audiences don’t need to fully understand a culture to be moved by it. Authenticity and specificity invite connection,” Yang observed.
“For Chinese filmmakers, this is an amazing opportunity to go global, to collaborate internationally, to get films out into the international marketplace, and perhaps to work with those from our diaspora to tell nuanced stories that elevate Chinese representation and deepen global impact,” Yang added.
During the keynote or during her speech at the festival’s opening ceremony, Yang did not refer to the China Film Administration’s decision to “moderately reduce” the import of American films to China as a consequence of the tariff wars initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“As global filmmaking evolves with new technologies and platforms breaking down traditional barriers, innovation and cross border collaboration become indispensable strategies in today’s competitive market for Chinese filmmakers, who have set a rich cultural legacy embracing collaboration with international artists, particularly those with an interest in the culture, can amplify Chinese storytelling and unlock significant financial opportunities,” Yang said during her keynote. “In essence, global collaboration is both a pathway to cultural innovation and a strategic economic advantage that benefits benefits us all.”
Looking toward the future, Yang addressed industry challenges including post-pandemic box office declines and artificial intelligence’s impact on filmmaking, while expressing optimism about rising Chinese cultural influence through recent successes like “Black Myth: Wukong” and “The Three-Body Problem” adaptation.
Blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” is one of the focal points of the festival and Yang said “this phenomenon alone has become a powerful cultural moment in its own right, and a terribly exciting milestone. These are all signals of something larger. China’s cultural voice is rising, and it’s claiming its rightful place on the world stage.”
Yang suggested that a Chinese-language film winning the best picture Oscar might happen soon, concluding with an enthusiastic “I for one, will be cheering.”
