Forum discusses women's leading role in China's film industry

The movie industry in China, much like elsewhere, is still mainly male-dominated. But women are playing an increasingly important role and bringing their own perspective to the screen and the behind-the-scenes workings.

A forum focusing on the role of women in filmmaking was held in the tropical city of Sanya in China's southern province of Hainan on Tuesday with famous female industry players including Liang Jing, Xue Xiaolu, A Mei and Yao Tingting in attendance.

The activity was part of the ongoing third Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF).

At the forum, "In the Spotlight and Behind the Scenes: Women in Film," participants offered in-depth insight into topics such as the market potential for women's films, the creative experiences of female filmmakers, ways to seize creative opportunities as female filmmakers and the future of women's cinema. Panelists agreed that women are playing an increasing role in China's movie industry, supported by more female-led and female-focused initiatives and projects.

"Women have different points of view from men. Sometimes, that leads to very different results. Take the film 'The Eight Hundred' for example, it was a very traditional men's war film. But I advised the director to try and think from a woman's perspective. After about 40 rounds of adaption, the final version we presented to the audience proved to be very popular, especially among female audiences who are not usually the target audience for war films," said Liang Jing, producer of the war epic "The Eight Hundred."