Moviegoers relish intriguing plot diversity of screen offerings

This year's cinematic lineup of the Chinese box office has proved a feast for Zhou Lin — a dedicated cinephile who had already watched more than 10 foreign productions at brick-and-mortar theaters by June.

They include French Oscar-winning crime drama Anatomy of a Fall, the United States' documentary Kim's Video, and dystopian war thriller Civil War.

This year's selection of foreign films is much richer in terms of genre and content than when imported movies were predominantly those churned out in Hollywood, Zhou says.

According to an official tally, at least 30 imported films have been released in domestic cinemas this year. While they come from multiple countries and regions, they also cover a range of genres, like sci-fi, action, animation and drama.

Yu Chao, deputy general manager of Beijing's Capital Cinema chain, says that ticket sales for imported films have accounted for about 15 percent of the chain's total revenue since the start of this year.

In the first half of this year, the mainland Chinese film market generated a total box office revenue of 23.9 billion yuan ($3.29 billion), according to Mtime, one of the country's top film news sites. This figure falls short of the 26.2 billion yuan recorded during the same period last year.

Legendary Pictures' Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is among the top-grossing films on the Chinese mainland so far this year, with nearly 1 billion yuan in ticket sales. Other top earners include Oscar-winning animation The Boy and the Heron, and sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two.

The momentum of cultural diversity and exchange on the silver screen has rolled into major film events in China. During the 2024 Beijing International Film Festival, a selection of more than 250 outstanding Chinese and foreign films were screened across 27 partnership theaters and venues.

Featuring a total of 461 films from various countries and regions, the recently-concluded Shanghai International Film Festival offered another audiovisual treat for moviegoers.

During the Cannes Film Festival in May, Mao Yu, deputy director of the China Film Administration, pledged further efforts to import films in more diversified genres from more countries.

While domestic moviegoers in China are enjoying a more international and culturally diverse lineup on the silver screen, the opportunities for film enthusiasts in other countries to watch Chinese movies are also increasing.

At Cannes, director Guan Hu's drama Black Dog was granted the Un Certain Regard award, and several other Chinese films competed in various festival categories, including Caught by the Tides and Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

More than 180 Chinese films were brought to the festival for sale, a number that drew wide attention.

"After a partial comeback in 2023, Chinese cinema is returning to this year's 77th Cannes Film Festival in a major way," a review on American entertainment media outlet the Hollywood Reporter, stated.

Earlier this year, animated fantasy Deep Sea was released in more than 500 French cinemas, totaling 10,000-plus screenings and shattering the record for a Chinese animated film released in France.

The popularity of Chinese films was also seen following the release of the mythological epic Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, which was screened in 140 French cinemas, and following the North American release of hit comedy YOLO, the exclusive overseas release rights of which were purchased by Sony Pictures.

While art films have long been a mainstay of Chinese cinematic productions in terms of going global, recent years have also seen many domestic sci-fi and animated films receiving growing attention and recognition around the world, says renowned Chinese director Jia Zhangke.

In recent years, collaboration between China and other countries and regions on movie production has deepened. A prominent example is the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, which has seen its membership grow to 55 institutions in 48 countries and regions.

"I look forward to seeing more interactions between Chinese films and outstanding productions from other countries, thus injecting more vigor into Chinese films," says Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.

Xinhua