Date: April 18, 2019
Location: Beijing International Hotel, Beijing, China

[Associated Press – Reporter: Steven]
During the 9th Beijing International Film Festival, the China-U.S. Film Industry Cooperation Forum was successfully held on April 18, 2019, at the Beijing International Hotel. The event also marked the official launch of the 2019 Hollywood International Youth Film Festival.

Organized in partnership with the American Hollywood Film Academy, the forum gathered high-profile guests from the Chinese and American film industries to discuss new pathways for cooperation and mutual growth. The forum served as a key initiative under the broader Beijing International Film Festival, which is recognized as Asia’s largest film trade platform.

Arthur Peng, Vice President of the American Hollywood Film Academy and President of the American Hollywood Film Society, delivered the opening remarks. He introduced the Hollywood delegation to Beijing, which included:

• Arthur Peng – Vice President of the Academy; President of the Film Society

• Jerry Velasco – Vice Mayor of El Monte; Director and Actor

• Chris D. Nebe – Director and TV Commentator; President of Monarex Hollywood Corporation

• Peter Allman – Actor and Talk Show Host

• Brian Connors – Director and Actor

• Alexandra Kovacs – Actress

• Bud Joseph Hebert – Screenwriter, Director, and Actor

Jiang Ping, Vice Chairman and General Manager of China Film Co., Ltd., highlighted the importance of co-productions in driving growth and reaching global markets. He emphasized that while Chinese-themed art films may face cultural barriers, science fiction and disaster films offer universal appeal and strong potential for international collaboration.

Rao Shuguang, Secretary-General of the China Film Association, noted that China and the U.S. are now the world’s top two box office markets, and that their cooperation holds enormous potential.

Panel discussions featured experts such as Wu Weimin (Chairman of China Star Media), Zhang Linshu (Founder and Executive Producer), Suyan Tao (Chairman of Eagle Dragon Media), Zhao Fang (President of Warner Bros. China), and Deborah Moore (veteran American producer). They explored how Chinese cinema could better integrate with Hollywood’s production systems, using the co-production film Perfect Partner as a case study.

Arthur Peng also extended a formal invitation to the 2019 Hollywood International Youth Film Festival on behalf of the American Hollywood Film Academy. He shared the success of the 2018 festival, which received over 580 entries, nearly 200 of which featured Chinese cultural elements, drawing filmmakers and guests from across the globe.

Ma Wei, a selection committee member of the 9th Beijing International Film Festival and Associate Professor at Beijing Information Technology College, held a dialogue with Chris D. Nebe, director of the documentary Diaoyu Island – The Truth, on strategies for using Hollywood storytelling methods to share Chinese narratives with international audiences.

When Arthur Peng raised the question of future directions for co-production themes, Jiang Ping responded that the ideal future lies in finding shared human values and cinematic visions that resonate across cultures.

Notable attendees included:

• Jiang Ping, China Film Co., Ltd.

• Rao Shuguang, China Film Association

• Suyan Tao, Eagle Dragon Media

• Wu Weimin, China Star Media Group

• Deborah Moore, American producer

• Zhang Linshu, China Star Media

• Zhang Yunshan, China Star Media (U.S. Rep.)

• Cheng Yu, China Rep., American Hollywood Film Academy

• Wan An, President (China), Hollywood International Youth Film Festival

• Gao Shan, CEO of Intangible Heritage Net

• Ma Wei, Beijing Information Technology College

• Li Xueying, Beijing 24 Frame Culture Media

• Li Li, painter and Visiting Professor, American Hollywood Film Academy

• Li Shaoguo, Photographer, China Tour of the Academy

• Dong Yu, Chinese author

• Bing Guo, writer and screenwriter

• Wu Yan, China Chief Rep., World Youth Times

• Zhang Xueguang, Rep., World Youth Federation

• Wang Kepan, Shenyang Xingmengyuan Culture Media

The forum and launch event successfully deepened cultural ties and laid the groundwork for future cooperation between China and the United States in the film industry.