Film veterans put success in focus at Beijing festival

On Wednesday, the country's biggest box-office sensation Ne Zha 2 — employing nearly 4,000 animators for the five-year production — has earned an astonishing 15.8 billion yuan ($2.19 billion) globally, since its Spring Festival debut.

The animated film has shattered records to become the world's fifth highest-grossing film, and far surpassed the country's previous highest-grossing film The Battle at Lake Changjin, a war epic that raked in 5.75 billion yuan in 2021.

For that, the 15th Beijing International Film Festival, one of China's best-known cinematic events, for the first time held an exhibition of 150 hand-painted posters by Yang Yu, better known as Jiaozi (dumpling), the director of the Ne Zhe animated franchise. Each artwork was created to celebrate the film's memorable moments — one for every additional 100 million yuan earned at the box office.

The film also became one of the Beijing festival's hottest buzzwords.

Jiang Wen, jury president of the film festival's Tiantan Award, praised Yang's groundbreaking success, calling it a "starting point" for Chinese cinema — not its peak.

"There are so many more 'dumplings' hidden beneath. You don't serve them one by one; they come plate after plate," Jiang, the maverick filmmaker known for his sharp wit, quipped during his masterclass on April 25, playing on the untapped potential of Chinese filmmakers.

Cedric Behrel, co-founder of British film distributor Trinity CineAsia — which acquired distribution rights for Ne Zha 2 to 37 countries and regions — says the film is the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie in Europe in two decades, praising how Chinese filmmakers' distinctive storytelling skills have transcended cultural barriers to resonate with overseas audiences.

Ying Xujun, deputy president of CMC Inc, the Chinese company handling Ne Zha 2's release in North America and Oceania, reveals that the film performed well in the two regions, exemplified by its screenings in 1,000 cinemas in the United States and 162 theaters in Australia and New Zealand. She also reveals that Ne Zha 2, following its first run with English subtitles, is producing an English-dubbed version, with the voiceover cast set to feature some "surprise" actors.

The film's historic success — highlighted by its status as the highest-grossing film ever in a single market — proves the enduring power of cinema, demonstrating that the theatrical experience will never fade, Ying adds.

This year, the annual film festival ran from April 18 to 26, gathering hundreds of celebrities and industry insiders to exchange ideas, share stories behind classic films, and analyze new trends in the domestic industry.

Setting a new record, the festival received 1,794 submissions from 103 countries and regions contending for the Tiantan Award, surging by a remarkable 18.9 percent year-on-year. In addition, the festival's competition sector, tailored for short videos since 2022, attracted this year over 6,300 entries from more than 30 countries and regions.