Lu Shaoyang, dean, Peking University School of Journalism and Communication. Filmmakers and industry insiders discuss solutions at an online meeting organized by the China Film Association to cope with the huge losses caused by the pandemic.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Xu Tianfu, vice-president of Hengdian Group, which is based in Zhejiang province and owns the country's largest film-and-television shooting base, Hengdian World Studios, says 310 film crews totaling over 5,600 members were forced to suspend studio work during the lockdown, but around 20 crews have resumed shooting.

He reveals the group's over 400 cinemas, which have around 10,000 employees in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, are all shut, causing huge losses.

Song predicts the epidemic's impact on the industry may last at least 18 months. He suggests the government reduces taxes and provides subsidies to support films released in the first six months after theaters reopen.

Detective Chinatown 3, the latest installment of director Chen Sicheng's blockbuster Detective Chinatown franchise, led presales among big-budget contenders before the Spring Festival holiday. Around 200 million yuan worth of tickets were sold before the "golden period" for Chinese cinemas. But all new theater releases were halted during the holiday, as the epidemic intensified.