From bravery to mystery

"The rapid expansion of the Chinese movie industry has been miraculous. When we held the first edition of the awards in 2005, it was hard to even pick out 20 movies to shortlist for five categories. The annual output then was low, and most of the entries were arthouse films," she says.

"Now China is producing nearly 800 movies a year. The genres are rich. I think we can learn from the Academy Awards and add more categories, such as best animated work and best documentary," adds Li.

Li also highlights the rise of young talent, predicting that they will reshape China's movie industry.

"In the past, directors usually established themselves only after shooting at least two or three features. But in recent years, we have seen many young directors quickly rise to fame after their first feature. It shows that the Chinese movie industry is evolving quickly," she says.

Zhang Yimou, one of China's most prestigious filmmakers, will head the jury panel to decide the winners in around one month's time.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn