Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 252 Jury Members

When it comes to director Li Yu, many people may not know her, but when it comes to the movies she directed later, many people may have heard of her.

"Apple", "Guanyin Mountain", "Everything Grows", "Double Exposure", etc.

One characteristic of her later films is that Pang Bing almost took on all the passionate scenes.

Li Yu has not met her "true love" Pang Bing yet, but even if she did, Pang Bing would never take on a movie like this again.

"Hello, Director Cao. I'm Li Yu. Nice to meet you here. We should be going to the same destination, right? Are you going to Venice too?"

Li Yu stood up, walked to Cao Yang and said with a smile.

"Hello Director Li, it looks like we have the same destination."

Cao Yang shook hands with Li Yu, and then introduced her to Mr. Han and several other people.

Li Yu's group consisted of only three people, a female lead and an assistant.

"Director Cao, my movie will be screened on September 9st. Do you have time?"

It has to be a female director. If it were any other male director, he would definitely feel embarrassed to invite Cao Yang directly like this, after all, it's just a carousel.

But when a female director says it, it doesn't seem out of place.

For films like Li Yu's that did not enter the main competition unit, the organizing committee will not arrange special screenings for them. You can either wait for the organizing committee to arrange a rotation, with everyone sharing a small hall and taking turns to screen the film, or you can pay to rent a theater to screen the film.

"Okay, tell me the time and place, and I'll be there."

This year, the only mainland film that entered the main competition unit of Venice is "Black Swan" by Cao Yang. It is estimated that there will not be many that will enter other miscellaneous units. At present, the only one we know of is Li Yu.

After a transfer, the plane we were on landed at Marco Polo Airport in Venice.

"Director Li, how are you leaving?"

Cao Yang and the others waited for a while before Li Yu and the other two got off the plane. When you are out in the world, everyone is like family, so help whoever you can.

"Isn't there a bus from the airport to the city?" Li Yu was stunned for a moment and replied.

During the Venice Film Festival, it is quite convenient to take the airport bus. Most filmmakers who come to exhibit or compete take the bus.

The reason why Cao Yang asked this question was that he wanted to see if Li Yu and the other two had made any arrangements and whether there would be someone familiar to pick them up.

"Then come with us. The organizing committee has ordered two commercial vehicles to come over, and there's just enough space for us to sit together."

Will the organizing committee send a car to pick you up? Why didn't I receive any notification?

Li Yu wanted to say this, but stopped herself.

Then he realized, what is my status, what is Cao Yang's status and influence?
To put it bluntly, no matter which film festival Cao Yang attends now, he will bring great influence and attention to the festival. The organizing committee will definitely treat him as a VIP, send a car to pick him up, and arrange food and accommodation for him.

"Thank you Director Cao, we will enjoy the treatment of an international director today."

Li Yu gathered her hair and said with a smile.

The business car drove directly to the Excelsior Venice Hotel on Lido Island, which is the official partner hotel of Venice and the only five-star hotel on Lido Island, where the Venice Film Festival is held. It is very close to the main venue of the film festival.

The organizing committee arranged Cao Yang and his party to stay in this hotel.

As soon as I got off the car, Marco Muller was already waiting.

He came over and hugged Cao Yang, then asked with a smile, "Did you have a smooth journey? Let's go, do you want to eat first, or eat after resting?"

Having said that, Lao Ma walked towards the hotel.

Foreigners are sometimes quite interesting, and Lao Ma doesn't know how to avoid suspicion at all.

If it happened in China, and the president of the film festival personally came to greet a director, and then this director won an award, it would definitely be said to be a huge shady deal.

If we have to meet, it must be in private.

"Old Ma, wait a moment."

Cao Yang called out to Marco Muller. He thought that Li Yu and the other two were also members of the Black Swan crew.

"Director Li, have you booked a hotel?" Li Yu was shocked again. She knew the chairman of the Venice Film Festival and couldn't believe that he actually came to greet Cao Yang in person.

Hearing Cao Yang's question, he quickly smiled and said, "It's settled. The hotel has been booked in advance."

"Okay, I'll ask the driver to take you there."

"Thank you, Director Cao. Thank you so much."

After Li Yu left, Lao Ma blinked at Cao Yang and asked, "A close female friend?"

Hey, don't talk nonsense, Old Deng.

"Go away, there are not so many confidantes."

After Cao Yang finished speaking, he glanced at Dong Xuan unconsciously, and then explained to Lao Ma: "Her name is Li Yu, she is a director. I met her on the plane. She also came to participate in the film festival, but she didn't enter the main competition unit."

"Oh."

Old Ma said in a daze, "Now that you mention it, I remember that I paid special attention to the situation in China. There is a director named Li Yu who made a movie that is... um, a little special."

Something special?
Depend on!
She is worthy of being the queen of banned films.

Female directors are so awesome.

Even the well-informed and film-watching Lao Ma said that it was a little special, so Li Yu's movies are really a little special.

You know, in European art films, exposure is just a small matter, and there are many movies that allow you to enjoy the entire battle process without any hindrance.

Cao Yang was mentally prepared to support Li Yu's movie.

Lao Ma didn't stay for long. After all, as the chairman of the film festival, it was his busiest time.

After a day's rest, Cao Yang received a call from Acheng.

Acheng is a writer and screenwriter from the mainland, and a good friend of Lao Tian.

After Lao Tian was released from prison, he directed "Spring in a Small Town" and the biographical film "Wu Qingyuan" which started shooting last year, and both were written by Acheng.

Acheng is also a member of the jury for the main competition unit of this year's Venice Film Festival.

Lao Ma will definitely not let the grand prize of the main competition unit slip out of his control, so he must have a few of his own people on the jury.

Lao Ma originally wanted Lao Tian to come, but Lao Tian thought a little more.

He wondered, if he became a member of the jury, would people criticize Cao Yang's winning the award?

Just like when Cao Yang first debuted, I was Cao Yang’s photographer and people mistakenly thought I was the one shooting the movie behind the scenes... what people say is really scary.

Lao Tian learned from this lesson and tried his best to avoid suspicion.

Just like when Ning Hao was filming "Crazy Stone", apart from explaining a lot of scenes to the actors before filming, he never joined the crew after filming started.

So, Lao Tian pushed Ah Cheng out.

Cao Yang talked with A Cheng and learned that the chairman of the jury of the main competition unit was Italian Dante Ferretti, a very famous art director.

Cao Yang knew this person, Dante Ferretti, who was working in Hollywood.

I met him at the Oscars this year. He won the Oscar for Best Art Direction for Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, and we chatted for a while at the Oscars dinner afterwards.

Dante Ferretti is also considered a veteran art director and has worked with many famous Hollywood directors.

He was the art director for films like Hamlet, Interview with the Vampire, Casino, The Twilight Zone, Gangs of New York, Cold Mountain, The Aviator, etc.

According to Acheng, in addition to Dante Ferretti, the jury consists of seven people, and two female jury members are Americans.

In addition, there is a young female singer of Italian descent.

There are quite a lot of female judges this year.

(End of this chapter)