This director lacks vision.

Chapter 237 Fame Brings Trouble – Award Controversy

The article published by Southern Finance immediately attracted widespread attention.

Jiang Yifeng has been playing Jiang Ning and appearing as a guest on the show "Back to Field" recently, and his popularity is soaring.

Some financial newspapers are now calling Jiang Yifeng a genius entrepreneur, which is quite different from the public's impression of entertainment stars, and naturally it will spark heated discussions.

In particular, the content of this report about the huge changes that Jiang Yifeng brought to Soohu Group after joining the company has become the focus of public opinion.

Many people are learning for the first time that Sohu's rapid development over the past two years was actually due to Jiang Yifeng's suggestions and even decisions.

Everyone was very curious whether this was true.

On the morning of August 21, Zhang Chaoyang posted a message on Weibo.

"Recently, many people have sent me private messages asking if the report by Southern Finance is true."

All I can say is that Jiang Yifeng did suggest that Sohu should create a Weibo account;
Jiang Yifeng also made significant contributions to the development of Sohu Video.

I'm not a stingy person, so I gave Jiang Yifeng a lot of rewards, including company shares.

We are the best partners, and together we can make Sohu a bigger and stronger company in the future.

For Zhang Chaoyang, his public persona is already that of an internet godfather.

Praising Jiang Yifeng at this time would make him appear as a mentor to the younger generation, earning him more praise and not diminishing his prestige.

After all, Sohu is still Zhang Chaoyang's company, and everyone knows that.

Besides Zhang Chaoyang, many other business owners have also spoken out.

Some were just trying to ride the wave of popularity, while others were using Wen Lingfeng and Jiang Yifeng's connections to help create hype.

Even Wang Sicong joined in the fun, posting a Weibo message.

"After I returned to China, my family told me to get along more with Jiang Yifeng and learn from him."

At first, I was a little unconvinced, but after getting to know Jiang Yifeng a few times, I realized how awesome he was!
He is indeed a genius entrepreneur, and I want to learn from him.

Therefore, I hereby announce that I have acquired the CCM team and established the iG (Invictus Gaming) esports club.

I will officially enter the esports industry, integrate esports resources, promote the healthy development of the industry, and lead Chinese esports into a new chapter!

While praising Jiang Yifeng, Wang Sicong also took the opportunity to announce his entry into the e-sports industry.

At that time, League of Legends had not yet been launched in China. The most popular e-sports game in China was DOTA, and the CCM team acquired by Wang Sicong was a DOTA team.

Wang Sicong's IG club not only won China's first TI championship, but also its first S-series championship.

All I can say is that it had its glorious moments.

Amidst a barrage of press releases, Jiang Yifeng gained another title: entrepreneur, and his company, Fengxing Media, became more widely known.

These promotional materials usually include titles such as "China's No. 1 Entertainment Company" or "Asia's Top Entertainment Company".

This led to a rapid increase in public recognition of Fengxing Media.

After all, Jiang Yifeng had laid a solid foundation beforehand, and Fengxing Media really has something to offer; it's not just empty boasting.

Jiang Yifeng's reputation in the martial arts world also rose accordingly.

The public's perception of him has shifted from that of a commercial film director to that of a big boss of an entertainment company and a role model for young entrepreneurs.

Of course, the higher you're praised, the harder you're likely to fall.

Jiang Yifeng was aware of all of this.

However, in Jiang Yifeng's view, a great reputation is also a kind of protective shield.

Moreover, being in the entertainment industry, it's impossible for him to keep a low profile.

Why not be carefree, boast when you want to, and be proud when you want to be? There's no need to look back or hesitate.

Moreover, his public image is more about ability and talent than about being devoted, simple, and unassuming, making it difficult for his reputation to crumble.

However, controversy is inevitable; after all, fame often brings trouble.

On the morning of August 23, Jiang Yifeng posted two Weibo posts.

"It is an honor for 'The Hunt' to be nominated for the 28th China TV Drama Flying Apsaras Awards. The awards ceremony will be held at the National Stadium on the evening of August 25th. Both @LiuYifei and I will be attending the ceremony. Please stay tuned."

"It is an honor that 'Old Boys: Back to 20' has been nominated for the 14th China Film Huabiao Awards. The awards ceremony will be held at the Yanjing Exhibition Hall on the evening of August 28th. @Shuchang, @Limingqi, and @Fanwei will all be attending the ceremony. Please stay tuned."

Jiang Yifeng's two Weibo posts served to announce his schedule, inform the audience that his work had been nominated for awards, and promote the Feitian Awards and Huabiao Awards.

After all, these two awards are very official in nature, and the participating actors are mostly veteran actors, so their exposure is not very high and they need to be promoted.

Actually, these awards in mainland China don't generate much buzz.

That's why future awards like the Golden Rooster Awards and the Magnolia Awards will attract a lot of attention; otherwise, they really wouldn't get much attention.

Jiang Yifeng was just posting a normal Weibo message, but he didn't expect to be criticized.

Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung retweeted Jiang Yifeng's Weibo post about attending the Huabiao Awards and commented: "No wonder you're the most money-making boss. You don't participate in the Golden Horse Awards or the Hong Kong Film Awards, which are the most artistic and influential awards in Chinese-language cinema. You only participate in these red film awards."

Sucking up to the authorities is indeed the fastest way to make money.

Seeing your behavior makes me feel disgusted!

This Weibo post immediately garnered likes and shares from some people.

The Weibo post about Du Wenzhe has once again drawn praise from many people.

The incident escalated and became a trending topic on Weibo.

It was then that everyone realized that Jiang Yifeng's films had never been nominated for the Golden Horse Awards or the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The Hong Kong Film Awards were alright.

After all, this award has its own requirements. Although some mainland films will deliberately invite some Hong Kong filmmakers to their crews in order to meet the award criteria.

However, Jiang Yifeng's film does not meet the eligibility requirements, so it is reasonable for him not to participate in the evaluation.

However, Jiang Yifeng's decision not to participate in the Golden Horse Awards seems somewhat deliberate.

I didn't run for election last year because of the movie "Lost in Thailand".

The deadline for registration for this year's Golden Horse Awards is August 12th.

I still haven't signed up for the "Back to 20" contest.

Jiang Yifeng's actions clearly show his disdain for the Golden Horse Awards.

This approach is completely unique among all the major directors in mainland China.

Even commercial film directors like Feng Xiaogang, from "The Dream Factory" to "A World Without Thieves" and "If You Are the One," would submit their films for the Golden Horse Awards.

Whether or not to nominate or award is the prerogative of the Golden Horse Awards, but if you don't apply, that's disrespectful.

Peng Haoxiang is one of the judges of this year's Golden Horse Awards. His criticism of Jiang Yifeng represents the attitude of the Golden Horse Awards.

In addition, Peng Haoxiang is also one of the directors supported by Huayi Brothers' "H Project".

Project H is a film plan announced by Huayi after its listing. It aims to collaborate with established directors while supporting emerging directors, creating a new wave for Chinese cinema. — This is Huayi's promotional slogan.

In fact, the vast majority of directors promoted by this program are from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

There are also directors from mainland China, such as Wu Er Shan.

This guy was able to film Painted Skin 2 with the support of Huayi Brothers' H Project, and then gradually whitewashed his image to become a well-known director.

This is why people dislike Huayi; they do little good but a whole host of bad things.

Fengxing Media's publicity stunt, consistently proclaiming itself as China's number one entertainment company, garnered considerable recognition. Commercially, however, the company most significantly impacted was Huayi Brothers.

After all, Huayi had always considered itself the first listed entertainment company and the number one entertainment company in mainland China.

This is Huayi's signboard.

Now that Fengxing Media has taken the top spot, Huayi's stock price has been greatly affected, falling for several consecutive days.

Peng Haoxiang is both a judge for this year's Golden Horse Awards and the director of Huayi H Project. He is the best candidate to stand up and criticize Jiang Yifeng.

This guy isn't a good person either. His friend is Zeng Zhiwei, and the male lead in the movie is Du Wenzhe. You can imagine what kind of background he has.

In 2011, the Golden Horse Awards still had a great influence and a large following in mainland China.

Winning the Golden Horse Award for Best Actor and Best Actress is a very prestigious honor in the industry.

After this wave of controversy emerged, quite a few people did indeed follow suit and criticize Jiang Yifeng.

Everyone thought Jiang Yifeng would give an explanation for why he didn't participate in the Golden Horse Awards, after all, they are all respectable people.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yifeng directly confronted him head-on.

At 8:30 p.m. that evening, he posted a Weibo post.

"The Huabiao Awards are national awards, representing the highest honor in Chinese cinema, while the Golden Ma Awards are just provincial awards."

As for the Hong Kong Film Awards, they are a regional award that is largely confined to the Hong Kong film industry and serves as a form of self-entertainment.

Why would I give up national honors to compete for provincial or regional awards? I'm not brain-dead!
Since the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards care so much about my choice.

Therefore, I hereby declare that neither I nor any of the films produced by Fengxing Media will be submitted for the Golden Horse Awards or the Hong Kong Film Awards.

@Peng Haoxiang, the two minor awards you're fawning over have no artistic merit whatsoever.

If you want to be a frog in a well, that's your freedom, but don't croak in front of me.

As for Du Wenzi, you've been treated like a dog, so don't talk to me about independent spirit.

The previous popularity of gold medals and gold statues was a result of uneven development.

After the rapid economic development in mainland China, the center of Chinese-language films has returned to the mainland and to its rightful place.

The market is like this, the box office is like this, and the awards should be like this too!

Jiang Yifeng's Weibo post caused quite a stir.

Why have Taiwan and Hong Kong entertainment circles maintained a prominent position in the Chinese entertainment industry for so long?
Besides the entertainment capital that these two places had in the early days, the major awards also played a significant role.

For the Taiwanese entertainment industry, the Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Melody Awards are powerful tools in their hands.

Not only can they exchange awards for a lot of resources, but they can also annoy the mainland.

Lu Chuan plagiarized rice? I'd give you the Best Feature Film award;
Wu Ershan has a long history of misdeeds, so I'm giving you the Best New Director award.

By winning awards, one holds the key to the world of fame and fortune, thereby gaining a certain degree of influence.

Jiang Yifeng was too lazy to get involved with the Golden Horse Awards; he had previously kept quiet about not participating in the competition.

Unexpectedly, the Golden Horse Awards were the first to react.

After all, both Lost in Thailand and 20 Once Again are Chinese-language films with high box office returns and excellent reviews.

The exclusion of this type of film from the Golden Horse Awards will have some impact on the prestige of the Golden Horse Awards.

Jiang Yifeng's counterattack this time was very forceful, directly repositioning the Golden Horse Award as a provincial-level award.

This idea was first coined by Jiang Yifeng in 2011.

Therefore, many people do not accept it.

"All things considered, the Golden Horse Awards are still the most prestigious awards for Chinese-language films. I don't agree with Jiang Yifeng's statement."

"It's too narrow-minded to think that just because the Golden Horse Awards are held in Taiwan, they are provincial-level awards."

The Golden Ma Awards are open to all Chinese-language films and are the largest film awards in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even the Chinese-speaking world.

"I feel Jiang Yifeng has become a bit arrogant. I'm standing for the Golden Horse Award this time."

Many netizens already supported the Golden Horse Awards, and with the efforts of Taiwanese and Hong Kong media to protect their local awards, many mainland entertainment companies also took advantage of the situation.

Suddenly, criticism of Jiang Yifeng rose again.

It's true that fame brings trouble.

Jiang Yifeng had anticipated this situation.

He's standing up against the Golden Horse Awards now, but he doesn't have many supporters. Things will be different in the future.

Anyway, let's just shout out the slogan of the provincial award first, and then emphasize it repeatedly. It will eventually have an effect.

Moreover, Jiang Yifeng has a backup plan – the launch of the program "Da Shan Kan Da Shan".

Since the Dashan group became popular, the show has changed to airing one episode every two weeks.

The show has consistently been popular, with each episode garnering over 300 million views.

On the evening of August 24th, a new episode of "Da Shan Kan Da Shan" aired.

The title of this issue is: "Looking at the public relations and scams of the Golden Horse Awards through the example of the Hoh Xil Award."

The program analyzed the various public relations tactics and strategies employed by the Golden Horse Awards in recent years, as well as the vested interests involved.

"At the 41st Golden Horse Awards, Lu Chuan's Kekexili won Best Feature Film, but the film was exposed for plagiarism before it was even submitted for consideration."

At the time, conscientious Taiwanese filmmakers sued the Golden Horse Awards, arguing that the Best Feature Film award for Kekexili should be revoked.

However, the Golden Horse Awards officials have already received all the money they were entitled to, and they've also exchanged favors and resources for it. There's no reason for them to give back the benefits they've already taken.

Thus, this case, the "first case in the 41-year history of the Golden Horse Awards," was left unresolved.

This is the Golden Horse Awards; even plagiarized films can win awards.

The show became an instant hit after it aired.

In less than two hours, the number of views exceeded ten million.

Many people who originally supported the Golden Horse Awards and criticized Jiang Yifeng fell silent after watching this episode.

The Golden Horse Awards have many blemishes, but the media has never dug into them before.

Jiang Yifeng was serious this time, giving a thorough analysis and making it widely known.

This caused the Golden Horse Awards' credibility in mainland China to plummet.

Seeing this, Taiwan's entertainment capital was not to be outdone and launched a counterattack, releasing numerous press releases.

One theory is that Jiang Yifeng is a womanizer; another is that he is a bootlicker of government officials; and a third is that he only cares about money and doesn't understand art.

They also fabricated a lot of rumors.

Jiang Yifeng launched a counterattack, using the influential figures and bloggers managed by his company's MSN account to spread all sorts of scandalous information about the artists heavily promoted by Taiwan, such as the "Heavenly Banquet."

For a time, the two sides exchanged blows, making for a very exciting battle.

Overall, Jiang Yifeng holds the advantage on the mainland side.

Because he has both a platform to voice his opinions and official support.

Lu Chuan was completely confused. It was clearly Jiang Yifeng who was fighting with the Jinma Award, so why was he being accused of plagiarism in his work "Kekexili"?

(End of this chapter)