director of the millennium

Chapter 398 Another awards season

Among the three major international film festivals in Europe, the Venice International Film Festival is relatively unmarketable.

The strong political overtones of the Berlin International Film Festival have been distinct from the commercial focus of its competitors such as the Cannes International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival from the very beginning. They specialize in political films and do not care about commercial success.

In the commercial field, the Cannes International Film Festival is the most mature and best, and is the world's largest film selling platform.

Especially after entering the 21st century, Cannes has rapidly carried out commercial reforms and has gradually become the center of European commercial films. Commercial films from most countries around the world will be screened in Cannes as much as possible, which has further promoted film sales in Cannes. The market is booming.

As for the Venice Film Festival, the North American Toronto International Film Festival, which is not far away, has opened a platform to sell films. It has huge appeal with money and has posed a huge threat to the Venice Film Festival.

This gives Venice a sense of urgency.

The Venice Film Festival, which originally insisted on pursuing an artistic path and did not care about the reputation of the film industry, has also lowered its prestige this year. Although it does not organize an official film sales platform, it does not prevent participating films from organizing viewing parties and sales meetings, and even secretly encourages them. Such behavior.

At the same time, Venice has also paid more attention to the "star effect", hoping to use brighter stars to promote global movie fans' attention to the Venice Film Festival.

Under this circumstance, the Chinese Legion led by Wu Yuan naturally received an unprecedented warm welcome after arriving in Venice.

Marco Muller, the chairman of the Venice Film Festival, personally led the team to welcome the arrival of the Chinese Legion.

"Haha, Daniel, welcome to Venice again."

He walked quickly to Wu Yuan, hugged him, and held his hand tightly, leaving the rest of the Chinese Legion aside for the time being.

However, this is flattering enough for the crews of "Bullfighting", "Dialysis", and "1428" in the Chinese Legion.

Like Guan Hu, a rising director, just being able to go to Venice on the same plane as Wu Yuan and having the opportunity to talk to Wu Yuan was enough to make him excited.

Unexpectedly, after getting off the plane and transferring to Venice, they would be greeted by Marco Muller, the film festival chairman, in person.

The leading actor Huang Bo, who came to Venice with Guan Hu, also looked shocked.

"Mom, Director Wu's influence abroad is really high." Speaking Mandarin with a Qingdao flavor, Huang Bo couldn't help but whisper to Guan Hu.

Although when he was in China, Huang Bo already had a deep understanding of Wu Yuan's influence, and he also knew that he was also a very good director internationally.

But seeing it is better than hearing it a hundred times!

No matter how much I have heard, I can never have a deeper understanding of it than seeing it in person.

Marco Muller did not come alone. He brought more than ten staff members from the organizing committee, and a group of people gathered around Wu Yuan to greet him. This scene amazed Huang Bo, who was born in the 70s.

When will he be greeted by a group of old outsiders?

"Mr. Chairman, I didn't expect you to come to greet our Chinese Legion in person." Wu Yuan said with a smile. He deliberately lowered himself to a member of the Chinese Legion. Instead of highlighting himself, he pulled Marco Mu Le came to the Chinese Legion and introduced him one by one.

"This is the head of the film purchasing department of our China Film Group, Mr. Qiu..."

"This is Guan Hu, our emerging director from Mainland China. His film "Bullfighting" was also shortlisted for the Horizon section this year. He is an excellent young director."

"Who is this……"

Wu Yuan introduced Marco Muller wholeheartedly, trying to impress everyone in the Chinese Legion in Marco Muller's mind.

This is also what he should do as a leading figure in Chinese films now when he represents China abroad.

Try our best to promote the influence and popularity of Chinese film forces abroad!

After Marco Muller patiently listened to all the introductions from Wu Yuan, he said with a smile: "Haha, Daniel, you don't need to introduce them. As a filmmaker coming to Venice, how could I not know them?"

As chairman of the film festival, he is certainly very tactful. As soon as these words came out, Guan Hu and others, who had seemed a little neglected just now, immediately blushed on their faces.

It is an honor to be recognized by the chairman of the Venice Film Festival.

Marco Muller is indeed not talking politely, at least Guan Hu is really paying attention.

In terms of cultivating its own "direct line", Venice is also the most backward among the three major universities.

The Berlin Film Festival has a "Genius Training Camp" and the Cannes Film Festival has a "Film Cornerstone Program", but Venice does not have any training program for new directors.

So they have to open more windows in their competition units to allow these young directors to participate.

The horizon unit was born out of this.

The directors and works that can be shortlisted for the Horizon section are all directors that the Venice jury considers to be excellent and promising directors, so they will be given this exposure opportunity.

In addition, Venice is also the most generous among the three main competition units. Generally, only one quota in the main competition units of the Berlin Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival belongs to a debut film.

However, the Venice Film Festival will have 2-3 of the best debut films shortlisted for the main competition. For example, among the 25 films shortlisted for the main competition this year, 3 are debut films.

Although Guan Hu's "Bullfighting" was not shortlisted for the main competition section, it was one of the best works shortlisted for the Horizon section, and is even expected to win an award in the Horizon section.

Marco Muller naturally pays attention to him.

After chatting with him for a few words, Marco Muller looked around at the people of the Chinese Legion, smiled and said to Wu Yuan: "Daniel, the hotel where you are staying is ready. Now I will take you with you." You go ahead.”

"There are still a few days before the opening ceremony begins. I hope you can spend a relaxing and happy few days in Venice and treat it as a holiday for yourself."

"Venice is still very beautiful."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman." Wu Yuan nodded.

He really planned to have some fun with Liu Yifei in Venice before the film festival started in two or three days.

As a water city in Europe, Venice is indeed a place with unique scenery. The last time he came to Venice was to compete for the Golden Lion Award. Wu Yuan had no intention of playing. This time he just came to award awards, so of course he could have a leisurely time.

"Oh, by the way." Just when everyone got in the car and were about to go to the hotel, Marco Muller seemed to have remembered something. He looked at Wu Yuan with a half-smile and asked, "I heard that Cannes Bian invited you to be a member of the jury next year?”

"Tsk, aren't you too stingy in Cannes?"

"You are the Golden Lion director at our Venice Film Festival, and they actually only invited you to be a member of the jury?"

"Although you are indeed very young, in the field of film, I think it is enough for you to serve as the president of the jury for one term."

"How about it, do you want to be the president of the jury in Venice next year?"

Oops, poaching in person!

Wu Yuan's eyes widened and he looked at Marco Muller in disbelief. He didn't expect that he could dig into Cannes so directly.

And the condition of being the chairman of the jury was thrown out at the beginning.

Not to mention, Wu Yuan was very excited.

Having the opportunity to be the chairman is definitely better than just being a judge!

(End of this chapter)