Making China a truly great movie power

The industrialization of China's film sector was a major topic of discussion at the recent 8th Beijing International Film Festival. Some filmmakers cited the success of Wolf Warrior 2, which amassed a record 5.68 billion yuan ($891 million) at the box office, and Operation Red Sea, which won the "Award for Best Visual Effects" at the Beijing festival, to say China's film industry has come of age.

The construction of Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis in Shandong province might have boosted the filmmakers' optimism. Built across 166 hectares for 50 billion yuan and expected to open in August, the film complex is a comprehensive cultural industry project with a super large film and television industrial park. It will comprise 52 high-tech studios, including the largest studio and only fixed underwater studio in the world.

Since it will have world-class sound, mixing and animation facilities, as well as costumes, props and equipment processing plants, some believe the Qingdao film complex will boost the production of mega-scale films and help China's film industry to "go global".