Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 193 Venice Main Competition Unit
第61届威尼斯国际电影节的举办时间，在9月1日至9月11日。

On September 9, Cao Yang departed from Los Angeles, changed flights once, and flew halfway around the world before arriving at Marco Polo Airport in Venice.

As soon as he got off the plane, Cao Yang saw Marco Muller, Mr. Han and Cheng Jianye waiting for him.

Cao Yang first shook hands with President Han, then greeted Cheng Jianye, and then hugged the enthusiastic Marco Muller.

"Old Ma, I haven't had the chance to congratulate you in person. Being the president of the Venice Film Festival is an incredible position."

After the hug, Cao Yang smiled and joked, "You are a very busy man now, and you can come to the airport to pick me up in person. It's really an honor."

"Well, since I became the chairman, I have had a lot more free time. I don't have to handle many things myself. I just need to grasp the general direction."

Marco Muller waved his hands, looking unconcerned, but it was obvious that he was still somewhat contented.

"Cao Yang, you are really not nice. I became the president of the film festival, but you got into commercial films instead, which made many old friends very dissatisfied.

I have no objection to you making commercial films, but I have just taken office, so you must make an interesting art film to show your support for me."

"I wanted to, but then I thought about it carefully. If we were to make an art film in Venice, you would have just taken office and there would definitely be a lot of difficult things to deal with. I'm afraid it would be difficult for you."

Cao Yang explained with a smile.

President Han couldn't help but feel envious when he saw Cao Yang chatting and laughing with the chairman of the Venice Film Festival.

The president of the Venice Film Festival came to pick him up personally. What kind of treatment is this? It can be seen that the relationship between the two must be special.

With this connection, as long as the movie is good in the future, it will be a smooth trip to Venice!

Then he looked at Cheng Jianye who was smiling beside him, and felt even more unbalanced.

This bastard is so lucky. In two days, he will go directly to America and Hollywood to be his executive producer.

Mr. Han couldn't help but sigh again. Following the right person doesn't mean you have to work hard for twenty years less. Sometimes, even if you work hard for your whole life, you still can't achieve this achievement.

For example, Cheng Jianye, as a small external producer of Qingying Studio, if he had not met Cao Yang, he would not know whether he could become a producer in China even if he worked hard all his life.

There is a high possibility that you will only become a senior production director in your lifetime.

And now? A powerful executive producer in Hollywood!

A Hollywood producer, this resume is really impressive.

With this resume, even if he doesn't develop in Hollywood, he will definitely be highly sought after by big companies in China.

Of course, as long as this kid is not stupid, he will definitely not leave Cao Yang.

So damn lucky!
Mr. Han came to Venice this time mainly for "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox".

As a pure Chinese-language film, and also a film shot at the request of higher authorities to test the market, President Han still attaches great importance to it.

Although there is no need to test it now, Cao Yang's "Despicable Milk" and Zhang Yimou's "House of Flying Daggers" have successively proved that it is no accident that a movie box office exceeds 100 million yuan.

However, as a mission film, you never know when the superiors will ask, "How is the box office of that movie?"

Seemingly insignificant problems may sometimes be the driving force or hindrance to your advancement.

The reason why Mr. Han came to the Venice Film Festival this time was that he just wanted to organize a film festival to expand the influence of the film so as to sell more box office and copyright fees. After telling Cao Yang about this, Cao Yang thought about it, called Marco Mueller, and told Mr. Han to sign up for the main competition unit.

President Han couldn't believe what he heard.

"Nine-Tailed Demon Fox"?
This commercial film is registered for the main competition unit?
What are you thinking!

The Venice Film Festival is the temple of world art films after all. How can a commercial film want to enter the main competition unit?
Isn't this a joke?

Then Cao Yang asked Mr. Han, don’t you remember that Zhang Yimou’s "Hero" also entered the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival?

It was also nominated for Best Film in the main competition and eventually won the so-called Alfred Boer Award.

Why? His Zhang Yimou's "Hero" was selected for the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival, but my Cao Yang's "Nine-Tailed Fox" could not be selected for the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival?

If the Berlin Film Festival dares to do this, why can’t the Venice Film Festival follow suit?
The monk can touch it, but I can't?
Zhang Yimou has extensive connections in Berlin, but do I, Cao Yang, have any less connections in Venice?

President Han could only sigh and feel that he had rediscovered the art palace of world cinema.

As an orthodox director, as an orthodox Chinese director, as an orthodox director who has high hopes for and some admiration for the Big Three European cinemas, Mr. Han still finds it hard to accept.

But no matter how his mind changed, Mr. Han still called the number Cao Yang gave him to participate in the election.

At the time, he hoped that the film could enter the main competition unit, but also hoped that the film would be eliminated...

As a result, a month ago, Venice announced the list of films selected for the main competition unit, and "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox" was on the list.

At that time, many media wanted to publicize the event, but they were suppressed by President Han. There were only two words in his mind: shame and anger!

He always felt an indescribable sense of loss about this matter, and it lasted for quite a long time.

When "Hero" was selected for the main competition unit of the Berlin Film Festival, he thought that people in Berlin might think it was an epic film and regarded it as an orthodox historical film, so they did that.

But what about "Nine-Tailed Demon Fox"?

He thought hard for many days, and finally he slapped his thigh and found the reason.

Maybe the judges felt that this movie used spirits to explore human nature. People have seven emotions and six desires, greed, stupidity, and caution...

Thinking about it this way, Mr. Han felt that it made a lot of sense. Cao Yang was such a famous art film director, and even if he was making a commercial film, it was impossible for him not to explore the inner world of the characters and use it to criticize human nature.

After sending Cao Yang back to the hotel, Marco Muller said mysteriously before leaving that he wanted to give Cao Yang a surprise.

What surprise?
Cao Yang thought about it and thought that maybe Marco Muller would also learn from the Berlin Film Festival. Oh, actually, there is no need to learn. Last time, he won the San Marco Award at the Venice Film Festival for Lao Tian's "Spring in a Small Town".

Maybe this time too?

After hearing what Marco Mueller said, President Han was refreshed. After Marco Mueller left, he whispered, "Junior brother, what does Chairman Marco mean? He doesn't want to give us a big prize, does he?"

Cao Yang laughed. Since Mr. Han called him his junior brother, he couldn't be shy and said, "What are you thinking about, senior brother? This is a commercial film. It's a great achievement to be selected into the main competition unit.

It has only been a short time since he became the festival president, so he can’t do anything rash. I think he will just give them something like the San Marco Prize, similar to the Alfred Bauer Prize that Berlin gave to Zhang Yimou last time.”

(End of this chapter)