Huayu: Everyone's been reborn, who's still going to be an actor?

Cheng Yuan attended the opening ceremony of the College Student Film Festival on April 8th.

"The Hunt" was nominated for several awards at this year's College Student Film Festival.

During this period, Cheng Yuan also participated in some seminars.

Cheng Yuan naturally attended the closing ceremony on the 29th.

"When does your movie start filming?" Wang Jinsong asked. "You'll have to come back for your graduation defense, even though you've been recommended for graduate school."

"It should be ready to go in about two weeks," Cheng Yuan said. "I'll be back for my graduation defense. Remember to give me a high score, professor!"

"That depends on how your defense goes," Wang Jinsong said with a smile. "However, with your level, getting a high score should be a piece of cake, provided you don't just go through the motions."

"How could I be perfunctory? Of course I put my heart into it."

Cheng Yuan said with a smile that he didn't really care much about his graduation defense. He wouldn't say he would take the highest score from Xiao Liu, but he wouldn't give a score that was too low either.

Of course, it's not that much effort you put in.

Even so, it won't be bad.

Otherwise, wouldn't my rebirth have been in vain?

"I hope I won't go home empty-handed today?"

Wang Jinsong spoke up, and the awards ceremony had already begun.

"Probably not," Cheng Yuan said. "The College Student Film Festival isn't as unattainable as the Golden Rooster Awards."

Why did Wang Jinsong ask that question?

It's all because of last year's Golden Rooster Awards, where "The Hunt" won nothing.

He went there on behalf of the film crew.

Cheng Yuan and Jiang Wu went to the Golden Horse Awards, and both of them gained something from it.

Did you gain anything?

It really does.

Wang Jinsong won the Best Actor award.

This Cannes Film Festival Best Actor winner has finally won a domestic Best Actor award.

Although Cheng Yuan did not win Best Director, which was taken by Zhang Yuan, "The Hunt" did win Best Film.

It was just a double-yolk egg.

The other one is the award-winning "The Dog".

Both the Jury Prize and the Organizing Committee Prize were shared, but the Best Film/Television Actress Award was left vacant.

The influence of university film festivals is ultimately limited.

Cheng Yuan felt that if he didn't win an award, the College Student Film Festival should be renamed, because he was a college student.

I don't even know how many years the other award winners have been out of college.

After the film festival, Cheng Yuan was busy with film preparations again and disappeared from the public eye.

Of course, if it weren't for his previous scandal with Liu Yifei, and the fact that "Distinguished Citizen" hadn't been released yet, not many people would have paid attention to him anymore.

Filming for "Taken" began in mid-May.

This is almost half a month earlier than expected.

This is a blockbuster film, so naturally it wouldn't start filming quietly; instead, a grand opening ceremony was held.

Han Sanping from China Film Group and Yang Shoucheng from Emperor Entertainment Group have both arrived.

Director Cheng Yuan, lead actors Cheng Long and Liu Yifei, and even guest stars Kara Hui and Leung Ka-fai were present.

Kara Hui plays the mother of the character played by Liu Yifei.

Cheng Yuan invited Liu Xiaoli, but she refused.

Kara Hui was recommended by Emperor Entertainment Group, so she is probably one of their artists.

Cheng Yuan naturally did not refuse.

Liang Jiahui was invited by Cheng Yuan.

In addition, Cai Zhuoyan was supposed to be a guest singer, but she didn't come today.

The focus of this press conference was clearly on Cheng Long and Cheng Yuan, followed by Liu Yifei, and then Liang Jiahui.

As for Hui Yinghong?

She was popular before, but she has clearly not returned to her peak and seems somewhat obscure now.

"This movie came about at a dinner party. Chairman Han asked Director Cheng if he was interested in making a commercial film. Director Cheng was initially hesitant, but later mentioned this movie. As soon as I heard that, I became interested and then did my best to secure the role..."

When talking about the origins of this film, Cheng Long spoke at length.

"Director Cheng, you didn't initially plan to work with Brother Chenglong?"

The reporter looked at Cheng Yuan. From Cheng Long's words, it was not hard to tell that Cheng Yuan had only brought up the movie because he couldn't refuse at the dinner party.

"It's not that we didn't plan to collaborate with Brother Chenglong, but rather that we didn't plan to shoot a commercial film so soon," Cheng Yuan said. "If we were to shoot one, Brother Chenglong would naturally be our first choice."

"Why don't you plan to make commercial films?" a reporter asked Cheng Yuan. "Do you feel the domestic market is sluggish, or do you feel you lack the ability?"

"There's no other reason," Cheng Yuan said. "Remote Films is short of money."

No money?

This reason completely baffled the reporters present.

"Director Cheng doesn't need any more investment, right?"

One reporter couldn't help but speak up.

Cheng Yuan's first film was made using GG product placement fees under Jiang Wen's name because no one would invest in it.

But with three consecutive successful films, winning awards and achieving excellent box office results, he shouldn't lack investment.

"I have high hopes for this movie, so naturally I'd like to invest," Cheng Yuan said. "Why not make money if you can?"

"Was it because China Film Group and Emperor Motion Pictures invested in this movie because Remote Films didn't have the money?"

A reporter asked the question.

"Remote Film & Television is a newcomer and still lacks some experience in producing big-budget productions, so it needs the support of companies like China Film Group and Emperor Motion Pictures," Cheng Yuan said. "Since its establishment, Remote Film & Television has always adhered to the concept of win-win cooperation."

No one disagreed with that.

Cheng Yuan's "Hunting" and "Distinguished Citizen" had small budgets, but they still received investment from other companies.

Collaboration can also integrate resources, making the film run more smoothly, and even expanding the market.

"Director Cheng, why didn't you choose a comedy for your first commercial film?"

Cheng Yuan's film had an investment of 200 million yuan, and it would be very difficult to recoup its costs through the domestic film market.

This film is targeted at the international market.

Of course, Chenglong still has a lot of international influence.

At least among domestic celebrities, none can compare to him in this regard.

Jet Li is no good, and Chow Yun-fat is even worse.

"Action films are more suitable for the international film market," Cheng Yuan said. "As for comedies, the sense of humor of domestic moviegoers is somewhat different from that of foreign moviegoers."

It's very difficult for comedy films to go international.

"Hasn't Director Cheng considered making a historical epic?" a reporter asked. "Domestic historical epics should be quite popular internationally."

"Really?" Cheng Yuan said. "I'm not so optimistic. Once the novelty wears off for foreign moviegoers, historical epics will face a difficult situation overseas. Of course, this is just my personal opinion."

Historical epics? Costume epics? It seems that apart from "Hero," the others haven't received much response overseas.

At the press conference, most of the questions revolved around Cheng Yuan and Cheng Long, but some also asked about Liu Yifei.

What's it like when a classmate becomes a famous director? What was it like working with him for the first time?

"It feels good."

Liu Yifei's answer stunned the media reporters.

They could have at least said a few more words; they just dismissed it with two words like "pretty good."

Cheng Yuan, however, smiled.

Although Liu Yifei doesn't have any "interviewing arrogance," she does possess a certain refreshing and unconventional charm.

"So, do you think Director Cheng chose you because you were a good fit, or because you were classmates?"

"I think he's right."

Liu Yifei's answer left the reporter speechless, but it also aroused her competitive spirit.