In the morning of 19 June 2015, as a special event of the 18t Shanghai International Film Festival, the joint press conference of the Chunfan Art Film Centre and Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) was held at the Shanghai Holiday Inn Crown Plaza Hotel. The Chunfan Art Film Centre was founded by Mr Wang Jingchun, winner of the Best Actor Award of the 26th Tokyo International Film Festival, and Mr Liao Fan, winner of the Best Actor Award of the 64th Berlin Film Festival, aiming to explore the market of art films, increase the influence of art films, build up a high-end platform for art films and create the opportunities for promoting the mutual learning, cooperation and sharing of the world’s best art films.
Mr Wang Jingchun was present at the press conference and Mr Liao Fan sent a congratulatory video. Ms Hu Min, STA Deputy Party Secretary, introduced STA’s practice and exploration in film teaching and its efforts in bringing in international teaching and practice resources. Mr Hu Jingjun, Director-General of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film and TV, expressed the appreciation for STA’s contribution to Shanghai’s social undertaking of culture and art. He also talked about the prospect of the development of art films. Mr Lou Wei, STA Party Secretary, reviewed the development history of STA’s film education since 1958 and highlighted STA’s efforts in the recent years to better cultivate talents in film art including such special projects as “Microfilm Teaching and Practice”, "Peck the Shell Program” and “48 Hours Microfilm Competition” designed to broaden the students’ international vision and provide them with a platform for practical experience.
We are delighted to see that Shanghai’s film industry will have a qualitative lead forward and, especially, the area of art films will be expanded and become a new economic growth point of Shanghai’s film industry. More efforts will be made to enhance the brand development of art films and lay a good foundation for building Shanghai into a film industry base with stable audience, high concentration of film enterprises, complete industry chain and international influence.
