The 2002 movie Hero, directed by Zhang Yimou, made kung fu star Jet Li known to a broader global audience.[CHINA DAILY]
"The popularity of domestic films is related to our country's economy, politics and culture. Values in the films are very important," Zhang says.
For foreign audiences, the other attractive factors in Chinese films include the scenes, plot, Chinese philosophy and cast. Some movies also arouse their interest to visit China, understand Chinese culture, and learn the Chinese language and kung fu.
But the report discovers that although many foreign audiences are interested in Chinese society and life, they are not attracted to realistic Chinese movies.
"It means that realistic Chinese movies lack the power to move foreign audiences and cannot satisfy their need to know about China. Screenwriters should strive to make movies an irreplaceable vehicle to introduce Chinese society," Huang says.
About 60 percent of the subjects watch Chinese movies on TV and free websites. More than 67 percent gather information about Chinese culture via the Internet and television, while only 14.9 percent receive such information solely from Chinese movies.
They do not have much knowledge about Chinese culture and they describe China with such adjectives as "mysterious", "ancient" and "developing".
The survey also shows that the higher one's Chinese-language competency is, the more receptive they are toward Chinese movies and culture.
Huang says there is still a long way to go before the internationalization of Chinese film festivals.
More than 57 percent of the respondents have no idea about film festivals in China. The Beijing International Film Festival was only established in 2011, but its popularity is similar to that of the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Hong Kong Film Awards, which were established in 1993 and 1982 respectively.
It's predicted that Beijing International Film Festival has the best chance to become an international festival, with the city's rich resources as the political and culture center of China.
"To promote Chinese movies abroad, we should focus on universal values, such as truth, kindness and beauty, and tell good stories. It's important that we stick to our cultural identity," says Zhao Baohua, a critic who attended the news conference.
He is a film expert and member of the film censorship committee of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
In 2013, the total box office and sales revenues of the 45 domestic movies abroad stood at 1.41 billion yuan ($230 million), an increase of 33 percent compared with 2012.
"The international dissemination of Chinese movies is still at its early stage. Some domestic movies draw large audiences in China, but not overseas. We need real blockbusters－films that are both popular in China and abroad," Huang says.
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