At the 2025 China Movie and TV Night in Shanghai on Sunday, many veteran actors and producers agreed that China's film and television industry and market are witnessing massive changes, and good stories are connecting people across time, space and cultural boundaries.
Hosted by China Media Group, the event is part of the ongoing 27th Shanghai International Film Festival running from June 13 to the coming Sunday. Since this year celebrates the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, the event paid tribute to a number of seasoned actors and acclaimed works while introducing new works that continue to tell good stories.
Dingjun Mountain was China's first movie, released in 1905. After 120 years, a scene was vividly reproduced at the event using artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) technology. The combination of story ideas, technology and art have brought many old masterpieces back to life. This year's film festival also features a special unit consisting several 4K-restored films from across the globe, including Sunset Boulevard, Hugo the Hippo, The Sting of Death, The Chinese Feast, The Big Lebowski, Hula Girls, and Awara, the first Indian film released in China.
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"The 4K-restored films are giving audiences a new experience with these classic stories, an important trend at this year's festival," says notable Italian film producer and festival director Marco Muller.
During Chinese cinema's century-long path, filmmakers from different generations have committed to producing quality works and sharing Chinese stories with audiences at home and abroad. Film and TV works, actors, directors and scriptwriters from 11 categories were honored at the event, including movies Ne Zha 2 and Her Story and TV dramas such as Northwest Years, She and Her Girls and We Are Criminal Police.
The Chinese film and TV industry has witnessed ups and downs over the past century, but the creators' dedication to producing high-quality works remains. Among the recommended works at the event is the upcoming Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, a film exposing the crimes committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese army during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The production team hopes to present the true history to global audiences, demonstrate the resilience and spirit of Chinese people, and call on cherishing peace.
"The story and my role in the film are profoundly meaningful to me. It is not only critical for my profession but also for the world to be aware of history, thus never letting wars happen again," says actress Sun Qian.
Actor Jiang Wu, also in the film, says: "Chinese cinema has seen massive changes in many aspects and I believe it will become even better in the future. There are more channels to discover and present new stories, such as short videos, web dramas and micro dramas. Regardless of genre, we hope to share more positive, informative, and 'nutritious' stories."
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Another actor, Dong Yong, shares Jiang's sentiments: "We see audiences watching movies in cinemas again. The industry is going through changes and we are happy to see such diverse access to films. Yet, what we actors do is essentially the same. It is a good time for acting, and we must cherish it."
A special "Italian Film Week" session was launched as part of the festival to connect China and Italy and promote cultural exchanges. To mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Italy diplomatic relations, over 20 selected Italian films will be screened citywide.
"It is important to give Shanghai audiences an opportunity to see a panorama of Italian cinema. We should do more to promote our films as they go down quite well with all kinds of Chinese viewers," says Muller.
Contact the writer at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn
