Beyond cultural borders

Coproduction is a hot topic at the ongoing Beijing International Film Festival, with Chinese studios looking to invest more.

Feng Xiaogang's directorial comedy Big Shot's Funeral, a Sino-US film in 2000, marked the turning point for coproduction in Chinese cinema.

Miao Xiaotian, general manager of the China Film Co-Production Group, says the movie led to the rise of Chinese filmmakers' status in international coproduction.

It was the first time the Chinese side took major control over a joint film's creation since China started to coproduce movies with foreign countries in 1979.

"In the past, most Chinese studios were unable to afford big-budget films and so their foreign collaborators had the final say. But that has changed a lot over the past two decades, thanks to the rapid expansion of the Chinese movie industry," Miao tells China Daily on the sidelines of the ongoing Beijing International Film Festival.

Last year, China had 63 coproductions, including The Foreigner, a Sino-British film starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan that was well received both at home and in overseas markets.

With the growth in box-office figures and the increased availability of high-tech screens, Chinese filmmakers are becoming more and more confident in teaming up with foreign players.

And coproduction is a hot topic at this year's Beijing festival, which is among the country's top annual cultural events.