Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 56: Venice Raiders

Since we have decided to give it a try, the film must be approved as soon as possible and sent to Venice as soon as possible.

If you want to win the Golden Lion Award, you should at least let people in Venice see your film early, so that those who can be won over can know the quality of your film and support you with confidence.

Otherwise, how can they support you if they don’t even know what the movie is like? What if it’s a piece of crap?

At least your movie quality should be decent.

Hou Keming was very motivated this time. Every day he was either going to the General Administration or on the way to the General Administration, and he was constantly on the phone.

Fortunately, the film takes place in Hong Kong and stars Hong Kong actors, so the censors couldn't find any fault with it.

Thanks to Hou Keming's on-site supervision, the film passed review and obtained a screening license in just over ten days.

Now, whether this movie is screened or participates in film festivals, it is legal and compliant.

This time it was again selected under the name of Qingying Studio. As soon as they got the "identity", Cao Yang and Lao Tian went to Italy without stopping and personally took the copy with them.

Accompanying them were Cheng Jianye, an assistant and a translator.

It is only the end of June, two months before the opening of the Venice Film Festival, and one month before the list of candidates for the main competition unit is announced.

Nowadays, there are no direct flights from Beijing to Venice. People usually take Russian or European flights and then transfer to Venice.

As for why you don't take a direct flight to Rome and then transfer to Venice, it's actually very simple. Rome is already in Italy, and after landing you need to go through security and immigration before you can transfer, which is quite troublesome.

The point is that it is cheaper and less troublesome to transfer via Moscow.

After a bumpy ride, we finally arrived at Venice Marco Polo Airport.

After a series of formalities, I came out and saw a white-haired foreigner waving at us.

Old Tian ran over quickly and looked at the other person with a smile on his face.

The white-haired foreigner also looked at Lao Tian excitedly.

Lao Tian hit his shoulder with his fist, and the white-haired foreigner also hit Lao Tian's shoulder.

Then, the two hugged each other.

The gay passion is surging!

"Okay, Lao Ma, you are so powerful now, the artistic director, the third most important person in Venice, and you kept silent when I called you. Are you afraid that I will blackmail you?"

Lao Tian was joking with a smile, and it seemed that the two of them had not become estranged due to not seeing each other for a long time.

"Oh! Don't even mention it. I'm a worthless art director. I have the pressure from the festival president and the organizing committee president above me, and a bunch of people who used their connections to force their way in. I'm just a runner who's caught in the middle.

When I become the president of the film festival, I will show off to you."

The white-haired foreigner, Mark Muller, speaks very standard Mandarin, and his voice doesn't sound like a foreigner at all.

"Come here, let me introduce you."

Old Tian pulled Cao Yang over and introduced him solemnly.

"This is my junior fellow apprentice Cao Yang, who is the last disciple of Teacher Situ. Just this March, the film he directed, "On the Beach at Night Alone," won the Jury Prize and Best Actress in Berlin."

Then he introduced him to Cao Yang: "This is Muller, you can also call him Lao Ma, we have known each other for more than 20 years, he is my good buddy."

"Hello Mr. Mueller, I am Cao Yang."

"Cao Yang, hello, you are young and promising. I saw your film "On the Beach at Night Alone" in the cinema. It was great and can be used as a model of New Wave films."

Then he asked, "Is Mr. Situ in good health? I haven't seen him for many years."

"The old man is in very good health." Old Tian replied, and then introduced Cheng Jianye.

After some greetings, Mark Muller said, "Thank you for your hard work along the way. Let's go. I'll take you to the hotel first."

On the way, Mark Mueller talked a lot with Lao Tian about work, mainly complaining that since he took charge of film selection, it was the first time he was in charge of comprehensive work, and he had to do many things himself and was very busy.

Fortunately, the film selection work has come to an end, so I can spare some time.

Cao Yang was still admiring Lao Ma's serious and enthusiastic work attitude when he heard Lao Tian snort.

"Look at how capable you are. You still do everything yourself. Then why do we need so many film selectors? Even if you become an art director and want to show off in front of me, I still don't know you."

Mark Muller burst into laughter. What a funny little foreign old man.

Well, actually I’m not that old, I’m not even fifty years old. It’s just that people in Europe and America are generally too mature after they are forty.

Appear old.

After arriving at the hotel and settling in, Lao Tian found Cao Yang and said he would go to Lao Ma to ask what the format would be this year and whether any movies had been scheduled in advance.

After Lao Tian left, Cao Yang took a nap.

When I woke up again, I was a little confused. Then I realized that I had already arrived in Venice and had come early to plan my expedition to the Golden Lion. Everything seemed like a dream.

So the garbage system is called out.

Host: Cao Yang

Current reputation: 546735
Available reputation: 146735
Play experience: +0
Filming: Empty Room

Actor: Liu Ye
Actress: Yu Feihong

……

It has gained over 130,000 reputation points. Is it because of the overseas release? I don't know if it is based on the box office or the influence. It's fucking rubbish. There's not even an explanation.

Bad review!

I had a meal with Cheng Jianye and others, authentic Italian food.

To put it nicely, all of these dishes retain the flavor of the food itself.

What? You said seasoning. Ha, do you know anything about healthy eating? Here are salt and olive oil, feel free to use them.

After dinner, we didn’t do much walking around and went back to the hotel. The main reason was that we were told when we arrived that we should try not to wander around at night and it’s best to stay in the hotel and not go out.

When Cao Yang returned to the hotel room, he saw Lao Tian was already waiting for him.

"Did you go to eat?"

"The main reason is that everyone wants to try Italian food, so we went to eat authentic Italian food."

"Is it authentic? Lao Ma invited me to a Chinese restaurant, which is known as the most authentic Chinese restaurant in Venice. Pah, it's neither Chinese nor Western and tastes terrible." Lao Tian complained.

"Italian food..."

Cao Yang tried hard to find a similar dish. After thinking for a long time, he said, "For example, if you want to eat cold cucumber salad (called green melon in the south), you cut the cucumber into pieces, and then this dish will be ready."

"Ok?"

"If you think it tastes bad, you can eat it with some salt."

"Then you really have ate authentic Italian food. Never mind. I'd rather eat something that's neither Chinese nor Western."

Both of them tried to talk about something light-hearted.

Finally, Cao Yang couldn't help but asked, "Not optimistic?"

Lao Tian nodded.

"Lao Ma said that the president of the film festival, Alberto Barbara, will step down in April next year. This is his last film festival as president, and he probably won't let the Golden Lion slip away easily."

Cao Yang was silent. This was really frustrating. After going to this extent, it still didn’t work?

"Nothing can be done?"

"Lao Ma has already discussed it with the Sony Classics people and asked a few people on the organizing committee to try to win over the chairman of the organizing committee to see if they can reach an agreement. Then they can work with the chairman of the jury... In short, try your best."

Lao Tian sighed, "But don't hold your hopes too high. Just treat it with a normal attitude. Lao Ma will promote our movie internally soon to test Barbara's reaction first."

　Thanks to "Book Friend 20220412013259797", "Banbanzhi", and "I Will Never Love You in This Life" for their rewards. Thanks to my brothers for their monthly tickets and recommendations. Thank you, thank you very much.

　　Some brothers asked about the update time, I will post it again. It is tentatively scheduled to be updated twice a day, one around 8 am and one around 12 noon.

　　Thank you again brothers for your support and love, thank you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)