More than 200 Chinese and foreign film makers attended the International Forum for the Centennial Anniversary of Chinese Cinema which opened in Beijing Saturday afternoon, putting the film industry in China and the world in retrospect and prospect.

Wang Taihua, head of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said at the opening ceremony that the Chinese cinema has experienced a century's trials and hardships and witnessed vicissitudes. 

Chinese cinema, as a new art form and a major carrier to pass on Chinese culture, has always undertaken the sacred mission to carry Chinese culture from generation to generation, inspire national spirit, and boost the fighting spirit of the people when the Chinese nation fought for liberty and independence to found New China, Wang said.

The Chinese cinema has produced large quantities of outstanding films sparkled with the essence of the times, Wang said. It has explored actively and innovated courageously since the founding of New China in 1949, especially since the reform and opening-up beginning the late 1970s. Chinese film makers have created and produced films that reflect the style and features of the time and keep close to people's lives. He noted that Chinese cinema has already established a large-scale production, distribution and projection system of a relatively high artistic and technological level. China has become a major producer and consumer of world cinema.

Chinese cinema, as a major part of the Chinese cultural construction, will make efforts to focus on upgrading its innovative capacity, raising its scientific and technological level, building up its industrial strength, fully realizing its development of scale and its modernization and globalization.

He hoped the Chinese cinema meets with the people's increasing spiritual and cultural needs, and become a major carrier and brand for Chinese culture to enter the world.

The three-day forum has attracted film makers and scholars from 16 countries and regions, including China, United States, France, Canada, Russia, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Democratic people's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many big names chairing international film festivals such as Marco Mueller, Serge Losique, Kim Dong-Ho, Charles Boller, Alain Jalladeau, and Pierre Rissient will attend the discussion of the meeting.

Participants will have discussions on four topics, namely achievement and experience of the Chinese cinema, Chinese film makers and masterpieces, industrialization and modernization of the Chinese cinema, international communication and cooperation.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2005)