Academy President Janet Yang Highlights China-Hollywood Bridge at Beijing Film Festival
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Janet Yang used her keynote at the Beijing International Film Festival to emphasize the importance of cultural exchange between the world's two largest film markets, sharing her unique perspective as an American-born Chinese film producer who has worked extensively in both industries and spent decades connecting them.
'My personal and professional experiences tell me that film has a unique power to bring people together, and that is why I remain perpetually optimistic about cultural exchange between not only our two nations, but amongst everyone, everywhere in the world,' Yang told attendees. She was speaking at the festival's industry forum titled 'How High is the Ceiling for China's Film Market?'
More from Variety
'Ne Zha 2' English Dub Sets Sights on Global Market: 'The Returns Could be Enormous'
Beijing International Film Festival Marks Triple Milestone With Star-Studded Opening
Chinese Filmmakers Vie for Glory at Beijing's Tiantan Awards
Yang, whose term as Academy president ends in 'a few months,' reflected on her pioneering career bringing Chinese cinema to Western audiences and facilitating major Hollywood productions in China, including Steven Spielberg's 'Empire of the Sun' and Bernardo Bertolucci's 'The Last Emperor.'
The Academy chief noted significant underrepresentation of talent from Greater China among the organization's nearly 11,000 members, despite growing recognition of global cinema exemplified by South Korea's 'Parasite' becoming the first non-English language best picture winner in 2020.
She highlighted key milestones in China's film industry growth, pointing to Xu Zheng's 'Lost in Thailand' (2012) as a breakthrough that grossed over $200 million on a modest budget and helped push China's local box office past $1 billion for the first time.
Yang also talked up the recent success of Asian diaspora stories earning major recognition, noting that 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' won seven Oscars including best picture, while 'Past Lives' and 'Minari' both earned best picture nominations. She also pointed to Chinese cinema gaining acclaim, mentioning Guan Hu's recent 'Black Dog,' which won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes last year.
'These films prove that audiences don't need to fully understand a culture to be moved by it. Authenticity and specificity invite connection,' Yang observed.
'For Chinese filmmakers, this is an amazing opportunity to go global, to collaborate internationally, to get films out into the international marketplace, and perhaps to work with those from our diaspora to tell nuanced stories that elevate Chinese representation and deepen global impact,' Yang added.
During the keynote or during her speech at the festival's opening ceremony, Yang did not refer to the China Film Administration's decision to 'moderately reduce' the import of American films to China as a consequence of the tariff wars initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
'As global filmmaking evolves with new technologies and platforms breaking down traditional barriers, innovation and cross border collaboration become indispensable strategies in today's competitive market for Chinese filmmakers, who have set a rich cultural legacy embracing collaboration with international artists, particularly those with an interest in the culture, can amplify Chinese storytelling and unlock significant financial opportunities,' Yang said during her keynote. 'In essence, global collaboration is both a pathway to cultural innovation and a strategic economic advantage that benefits benefits us all.'
Looking toward the future, Yang addressed industry challenges including post-pandemic box office declines and artificial intelligence's impact on filmmaking, while expressing optimism about rising Chinese cultural influence through recent successes like 'Black Myth: Wukong' and 'The Three-Body Problem' adaptation.
Blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' is one of the focal points of the festival and Yang said 'this phenomenon alone has become a powerful cultural moment in its own right, and a terribly exciting milestone. These are all signals of something larger. China's cultural voice is rising, and it's claiming its rightful place on the world stage.'
Yang suggested that a Chinese-language film winning the best picture Oscar might happen soon, concluding with an enthusiastic 'I for one, will be cheering.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025
The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Neymar drops by Brazil's pre-match, fans celebrate in style
Neymar drops by Brazil's pre-match, fans celebrate in style – check it out Almost everything is ready for the Brazilian National Team to face Paraguay at the Neo Química Arena, at 9:45 pm (Brasília time), this Tuesday (10), the 16th and penultimate round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has even announced the official lineup! Advertisement In addition to the starters, the 66-year-old Italian coach has left out of the game left-back Carlos Augusto (Inter Milan) and midfielder Andreas Pereira (Fulham). But, while the ball doesn't roll in Itaquera, there's a lot of movement around the stadium. The Green and Yellow Movement, which usually makes noise in the stands in support of the National Team, is present around the Neo Química Arena. The "Pistola" Canarinho is also at the Corinthians' home to welcome the five-time world champions, including the "host" Hugo Souza. And even Giannis Antelounmpo, star of the Milwaukee Bucks, from the NBA, is also present at the NQA. And Neymar, the big star of this generation of Brazilian players, but who is still out of the National Team while trying to string together a series of games to get physically fit at Santos, was present at the concentration hotel to give that final support before the match. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. 📸 Wagner Meier - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Deadline's Sound & Screen At SXSW London Saw Honor For Oscar Winner Anne Dudley And Music From ‘Chad Powers', ‘Shrinking' & More
Deadline's Sound & Screen event made its London debut during SXSW London on Saturday, honoring Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley and featuring live performances from hit screen projects, including Shrinking and Arcane. On a rainy summer's day in London, Deadline provided a ray of musical sunshine for a packed audience at the historic Shoreditch Church. Dudley, who won an Academy prize for her work on The Full Monty, took to the stage to perform a medley of her work, including Poldark and Jeeves and Wooster. More from Deadline 'Cielo' Producers Talk Opportunities & Challenges Of Shooting In Bolivia: "It's Such An Extraordinary And Diverse Landscape" Tony Awards 2025: The Musical Performances Deadline's Tony Awards Live Blog She was awarded Sound & Screen's inaugural Impact Award, with Baz Bamigboye, Deadline columnist and master of ceremonies, presenting her with the prize following her performance. Dudley said the award would sit alongside her Oscar, Grammy, Brit, and Ivor Novello prizes, telling Bamigboye that there had been a 'sea change' in the opportunities for women in music and film. She also looked ahead to her next project, PBS Masterpiece's sweeping period drama The Forsytes, which is due to premiere this year. Dudley confirmed a second series is filming this summer. The lineup also included the composers: Natalie Holt with Chad Powers; Tom Howe with Shrinking and Dog Man; Nainita Desai with Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf and Secrets of the Penguin; and Alex Seaver with Arcane. Howe revealed that he planned to be involved in Season 4 of Ted Lasso, building on his work on previous seasons of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning series. Filming starts in July/August, Howe confirmed, after he performed music from Shrinking, which is also featured on Apple. Elsewhere, Desai talked about her love of scoring natural history and why she felt connected to Love & Rage: Munroe Bergdorf, the documentary that premiered at SXSW on Friday. Holt discussed getting her head around American Football for Chad Powers, the upcoming Hulu series starring Glen Powell. Desai summed up her role like this: 'With film and TV composers, we have this kind of superpower. We have this ability to be able to manipulate people's emotions and make them feel something.' Fittingly, as Sound & Screen reached London, there was a musical tribute to Abbey Road, the iconic recording studio nestled in the north-west of the English capital. Instantly recognizable feature scores for Harry Potter, Goldeneye, and Jurassic World were performed. Mirek Stiles, head of audio products at Abbey Road Studios, told Deadline's Stewart Clarke that there were ongoing 'conversations' with Sam Mendes about recording the score for his four Beatles films at the studio. The Music Box Ensemble provided the orchestra for the event. Steve Morris and Marianne Haynes played violin, Triona Milne was on the viola, Chris Allen was the celloist, Kat Tinker was the pianist, Tommy Emmerton provided guitar, Chris Hill played the bass, and Ralph Salmins was on drums. Sound & Screen was produced in partnership with Abbey Road, PRS for Music, ASCAP, BMI, SCL and AWFC. { pmcCnx({ settings: { plugins: { pmcAtlasMG: { iabPlcmt: 1, }, pmcCnx: { singleAutoPlay: 'auto' } } }, playerId: "32fe25c4-79aa-406a-af44-69b41e969e71", mediaId: "e61910c9-95f0-4053-a1ad-f87c2449ee08", }).render("connatix_player_e61910c9-95f0-4053-a1ad-f87c2449ee08_2"); }); Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How China wins in the new propaganda war
American influencers are flooding China to show off its technology and culture — while the US has expelled the world's most-followed TikToker. A new Chinese initiative will pay for US influencers to visit and collaborate with local counterparts, according to Chinese state media, which said the program would boost cultural exchange. It's an investment in soft power and a propaganda coup: State outlets praised recent visits from Western influencers like IShowSpeed (whose six-hour YouTube video on his Shenzhen visit has nearly 9 million views) for showcasing 'authentic' life in China, Bloomberg wrote. The US' immigration crackdown, meanwhile, is pushing out influencers. The Italian citizen Khaby Lame, the world's most popular TikToker, was recently detained by US authorities and left the country after being reported by a rival influencer who is friends with President Donald Trump's son Barron.