Global Film Emperor

Chapter 374 Capturing the Bear
"Where are our seats? Okay, thank you, ma'am."

The location has been found with the help of the staff. This year's venue design is different from the past. Instead of rows of theater-style seats, it is more like a banquet hall.

The two were seated at the third row of round tables, slightly to the right. Strangely, the other award-winning film crews were not next to Mickey and Mickey, but on the far left of the third row. The middle section was separated by a group of renowned veterans.

This ranking method is special, but it doesn't seem special when applied to Mickey. As for the reason, everyone knows. Even the established masters who were already seated ignored Mickey. It's estimated that Mickey, who has never experienced setbacks, was quite arrogant in front of these senior figures.

Now he has paid the price for his youthful arrogance and swallowed the bitter fruit of his own making. It would be fine if he were the one to suffer, but he feels somewhat embarrassed that Lu Ze has also suffered along with him.

After exchanging a few winks, Lu Ze received the signal from Mickey, waved his hand, and obviously didn't take it to heart. After sitting down, before the ceremony started, he secretly fiddled with his phone under the table, replying to the blessings from his friends back home.

Afterwards, he took a picture of the venue and himself and uploaded it to Weibo. Now that he no longer has a team, maintaining fan loyalty is something he has to do himself. Since Lu Ze's comeback, he has posted more Weibo posts than in all the previous years combined, although he has only posted less than twenty Weibo posts in the last six months...

When Lu Ze scrolled to the bottom of his contact list, he suddenly discovered that Chen Yongbin had also sent him a message wishing him good luck in Berlin. Lu Ze naturally didn't dare to be negligent and quickly replied to express his gratitude. He thought that the matter was completely over, but unexpectedly his phone vibrated again. When he opened it, he saw that it was another message from Teacher Chen.

"When are you likely to return to China? Several cadres from the China Electric Power Association are retiring this year, and I recommended you. I wanted to ask for your opinion to see if you'd like to pursue this career path. If you are, we can have a proper discussion when you return to China."

When this message arrived, Lu Ze, though not losing his composure, was genuinely startled. The China Film Association! The China Film Association! Its full name isn't the Electronic Information Anti-Fraud Association, it's the China Film Association!

This association, founded by the state and with a history of seventy years, is primarily responsible for promoting the development of the film industry, establishing industry standards and plans, setting up domestic awards, recognizing film industry practitioners, coordinating connections between film associations in various regions, and conducting artistic exchanges with other countries and regions. It is the undisputed leader of the Chinese film industry and the ultimate dream for those practitioners who aspire to a career in government.

Lu Ze never imagined that he would have a chance to join the e-sports association one day. After all, all the members of the association are renowned figures in the system, all academic bigwigs. They are very particular about who you come from and who you were taught. In other words, if you don't come from a top university, haven't acted in serious dramas, and your teacher is not orthodox, they simply won't include you.

And what about Lu Ze? Although he was selected as a national second-level actor, officially joined the Party, and acted in the serious drama "Find You", his background is not good. He is just a grassroots person and takes the commercial route. Just this one point is enough for people to directly refute Lu Ze.

Why is there a chance now? It's all thanks to Chen Yongbin. If it weren't for Chen Yongbin, as the chairman of the Electric Association, giving Lu Ze a hand, Lu Ze wouldn't even have a chance to dream of such a good thing.

Lu Ze was truly moved, and not just because of this incident. Ever since he first met Teacher Chen, the second-level actor had cast a crucial vote for him, and later stood up for Lu Ze during the conflict with Qian Shijia, to the point that Qian Shijia hadn't won a single domestic award in the past two years.

This time, Lu Ze was recommended to the Film Association again. How can Lu Ze ever repay these favors? And what is Teacher Chen's purpose in helping Lu Ze? It's just that he admires this young man. Although he taught Lu Ze theatrical performance skills, at most he had the reality of being a teacher and student, but not the name. Naturally, he is grateful to such an old man.

He had the opportunity to join the eSports Association, should he join or not? Only a fool would choose not to join, especially since this was an opportunity given by Teacher Chen. To simply deny it would inevitably disappoint the old man. From any perspective, joining the eSports Association would be entirely beneficial to him. Looking at the text on his phone screen, he swiped his thumb across the screen a few times and typed a reply.

"I will follow your instructions, Teacher Chen."

You can't say "I'll go back on a certain day" in this kind of situation, as if someone is bringing you good news and you have to wait until you're free. The best answer is to listen to the other party's arrangements. If they tell you when to go back, get up and leave without saying a word. That's the best choice.

The film festival had already opened, and amidst the applause and cheers of the guests and ticket-buying audience, Germany's national treasure-level singer took the stage first, performing a very cheerful song. Of course, Lu Ze was preoccupied with the film association's affairs and didn't listen to the song. When his phone vibrated, he quickly lit up the screen.

"Personnel transfers will take some time. The cadres haven't left yet; they're handing over their work. They also need to handle the preliminary work for the Golden Rooster Awards. You can come back in about three or four months. Now that you're starting to take on foreign films, you need to put in your best effort and not embarrass Chinese actors. Also, remember that home is better than abroad, so be careful."

"Of course, don't worry, Teacher Chen."

After waiting for two minutes without my phone vibrating again, I looked up at the stage. The awards ceremony had already begun. I put my phone back in my suit pocket and applauded to congratulate the winners of the non-main competition categories.

The lights shone on the audience, and the liquid in the wine glass shimmered with other colors. He picked it up, held it to his nose, took a sniff to confirm it was water, and then took a sip. He rubbed his face repeatedly with his hands to calm himself down before focusing his attention on the stage. The film festival was the most important thing for him tonight.

……

After the awards for non-main competition categories such as documentaries and short films were over, it was time for the sub-categories of the main competition, such as awards for costumes, cinematography, music, visual effects, and post-production. Lu Ze knew without a doubt that these awards had nothing to do with "The Effect".

Human energy is limited, and it is impossible to be proficient in everything. You should know that the preparation and post-production editing of the film crew were all done by Lu Ze and Mickey. The film crew is only so big, and without the help of top masters in the industry, it is naturally very difficult for the two of them to win these small awards.

Lu Ze aside, apart from acting, he can only say he's capable of other things, not particularly skilled at them. Mickey isn't very good at costumes, and he's also not very sensitive to color. As for music, due to funding issues, they could only choose works by masters that had passed their copyright protection period, which served to create an atmosphere.

Filming was also limited by equipment, so the results weren't great. As for post-production... for a movie edited on a home laptop, the fact that it maintained the smoothness of the story and the sense of immersion is already very encouraging.

The two weren't there for the awards. As they watched the trophies being handed to the tearful winners, they felt no anxiety or impatience. It wasn't until the Best Screenplay award competition that the two, who had been casually exchanging whispers, became a little more serious.

The two presenters on stage chatted and laughed, made a veiled lewd joke, picked up the envelope, opened it, deliberately shook their cuffs, and glanced at the crowd below the stage in a pretentious manner, their smiles gradually becoming unnatural.

"The winner of the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival is..."

“Mickey Taylor!”

"Yes, to be honest, Lu Ze, I love this moment."

With a light flick of his wrist and a soft self-congratulatory shout, Mickey rose to his feet amidst the dazzling lights, arms outstretched with a smile, unconcerned about the stares of others, a hint of arrogance in his expression of joy to Lu Ze. "You talk like someone doesn't like it. Go up and claim your prize."

Looking up at the boy, Lu Ze gently applauded him. People allow geniuses to be arrogant because they believe that all geniuses are arrogant, and Mickey is also among those who are tolerated, or rather, he has returned to the ranks of those who are tolerated.

He strode onto the stage, shook hands with the two presenters, and casually placed the trophy on the podium. Only then did he adjust his attire in front of everyone and clear his throat.

"Wow~ Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm so glad to be standing here again tonight, speaking in front of you all. I'm Mickey Taylor, the Mickey Taylor you all know, not the drug addict driving under the influence in the news. Thank you so much to the jury for giving me this award. I really didn't threaten them with a gun when I was high, haha, really... I have so many feelings. As for my thoughts on the film, I think that's something I should say when I win Best Director or Best Picture. Right now, I just want to say to everyone here that I will continue to surpass myself and make more and better films. I hope to stand here every year, taking home trophy after trophy, and to share this with you all, paying tribute to the film art I love. Thank you."

It was a typical Mickey Mouse speech, with no excessive thanks, only a vision for the future, exuding an arrogance and self-importance that seemed unafraid of being ostracized by the masses. It was as if he was saying that everyone was a younger brother in front of him, just like when Lu Ze first met him. He wasn't afraid of offending anyone at all. Lu Ze could only smile wryly when he heard him say that.

He stepped off the stage with such nonchalance, swaggering around amidst the disgruntled gazes of everyone, like a victor showing off his new toy. He only toned it down a bit when he returned to his seat, because his arrogance wasn't for his friends; it was just like a child showing off to Lu Ze, as if to say, "Look what this is."

Perhaps the production team sensed the dissatisfaction of the guests in the audience, because Mickey didn't get much screen time after leaving the stage. The next award, Best Actress, was presented at a slower pace, as if to give the winner some compensation and let everyone hear about the Austrian woman's journey in making the film.

As the woman left in tears, the showdown involving Lu Ze officially began. In the eyes of ordinary movie fans, the status of the Best Actor and Best Actress is second only to the Best Film, and even higher than the Best Director. After all, no one likes to see a greasy old man smiling as he accepts the award on stage.

Starting fifteen minutes ago, the live broadcast viewership of the Berlin Film Festival began to climb, and online discussions continued to surpass previous levels of popularity, generating a large number of topics.

Amidst great anticipation, the renowned singer finished his performance and left the stage. Two award presenters, a man and a woman, then took the stage. Lu Ze recognized the man somewhat; he should have seen his work before. However, due to the man's thick beard, Lu Ze couldn't recognize him at all. The female presenter, however, surprised Lu Ze. She was none other than Cleopatra, Camilla Schickura.

Kamiya's popularity clearly surpassed that of the male guest, earning her enthusiastic cheers. At the male guest's urging, she took the lead in thanking the film industry professionals who made outstanding contributions to the film industry this year. After joking with the male guest, she announced that film clips of the four nominees would be shown on the big screen.

"Nominated for Best Actor at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear is... Dennis Brown (Denmark): I hear... a mute singing a sad song, an old man babbling. Material poverty prevents spiritual wealth. On the contrary, the rich always find the meaning of life at birth. There is not much listening, and therefore not much pity. If I had to add an appropriate word to life, then... 'fuck' would be enough."

"Marcus Julian (Germany) of 'The Dwarf': Why am I a clown in a circus? Why am I a laughingstock, a beast? Why do I work so hard every day yet still go hungry and naked? Why do I look like a xx but nobody treats me like a man? Just because I'm a dwarf? Just because I'm a freak shorter than a normal person's legs?! Fuck it! Morgan! Tell me, is this fair?!"

"The Magpie Will Come Back in Spring" by Marshall De Luca (Italy): I think... I can go have a drink, then find a beautiful woman to have fun with, spend all my money on her, buy her the jewelry she likes, just so she'll scream and give me a passionate kiss, and fight my rival like a man. I don't care how it ends, because I know I'll have a hard time getting through this winter, but... the magpie will come back in spring."

"The Effect" by Lu Ze (UK, China): "Thus, you will have dignity and your own beliefs. You are different from pigs, dogs, cows, sheep, and other people, from any other life in the world. You are you, an independent individual... Your thinking is worthy of praise. You can use knowledge to defend your rights and even fight against death."

Undoubtedly, this is a fierce battle. Although The Effect still has a score of 9.1 on IMDb, the other films are not weak either, with scores of 8.3, 8.8 and 8.1 respectively. Among them, Dwarfs has become a blockbuster in German theaters this year.

Compared to Lu Ze's portrayal of Kyle, Marcus's portrayal of a dwarf is more visually compelling because his physique wasn't achieved through special effects; he is a dwarf in real life, and the script was actually adapted from Marcus's grandfather.

In terms of acting ability, Lu Ze is undoubtedly the eldest brother. Every scene, every line, every action, and even every look is perfectly executed. Marcus, on the other hand, is playing the male lead for the first time and has been in the acting industry for a relatively short time. His acting ability is two to three levels lower than Lu Ze's.

He has two trump cards that allow him to compete with Lu Ze. First, he has the home advantage, as being a native German makes him more appealing to the judges than Lu Ze, an outsider. Second, the judges will likely give Marcus some sympathy points.

It may not be pleasant to say, but if the German public doesn't give them sympathy points, they will be dissatisfied. As a commercial film festival founded by a company, they still have to consider the impact on the public and the media. So, before the results were announced, the atmosphere in the venue was really a bit unpredictable.

In this situation, Lu Ze would naturally look towards his competitor, but he didn't expect that Marcus, who was three tables away, had already fixed his gaze on Lu Ze. When the two looked at each other, Lu Ze could see an intense and unyielding hostility in Marcus's eyes.

Due to his physical condition, let alone leading roles, even supporting roles are rare in a hundred production crews. Therefore, Marcus's acting career has been very bumpy, and it was common for him to go hungry. Now, the opportunity to compete for the Golden Bear for Best Actor is a huge opportunity for him, at least to solidify his status as the number one dwarf actor in Europe.

If he actually wins the award, his salary will naturally increase significantly, which will reduce his financial burden considerably. He can even save some money to cover the various symptoms that dwarfism patients are prone to develop in middle and old age. In other words, this award will be his lifeline.

Lu Ze fully understood Marcus's thoughts. He had certainly seen the movie "The Dwarfs" as well. The movie depicted the complications that patients experienced in their later years in great detail. Lu Ze naturally sympathized with the pain and suffering that Marcus would face in the future, but that was not a reason for him to give in.

First of all, the award was not decided by him, but by the judging panel. He couldn't possibly refuse the official award just because of Marcus; that would be extremely offensive. Even if he sympathized with Marcus, he couldn't do that. Otherwise, he would offend the organizers, and it was uncertain whether they would award the prize they didn't want to Marcus. It could even mean that he would never be able to win the Golden Bear trophy again, which was something he absolutely could not accept.

So he could only deliberately ignore those hostile eyes, nod amicably to Marcus, and turn around to wait for Camilla's lottery results.

The envelope was opened, and Camilla, with a gentle expression, lightly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She took two steps forward, leaned close to the microphone, and surveyed all the guests on the first floor of the venue. As if teasing someone, she took a deep breath and, at the moment when everyone's hearts were pounding in their throats, called out the name of the winner of the 75th Berlin Golden Bear Award, the Silver Bear for Best Actor.

"I hereby announce that the winner of the Silver Bear for Best Actor is... Lu Ze!"

Regardless of how much the tension brought about by his real illness shocked the audience, and regardless of whether the judges gave him points based on personal feelings, in the end... Lu Ze still won. The difference in strength was obvious, and Marcus couldn't catch up, so his loss was not unjust.

When Lu Ze looked at Marcus again, he was very disappointed. He was comforted by the other main creators of "The Dwarfs". Lu Ze saw this and felt a little embarrassed, but this was definitely not the best time to apologize. Lu Ze could only choose to ignore it. He slowly got up amidst Mickey's congratulations, straightened his appearance, and generously accepted the applause from the guests. He took a few steps to the stage and received the Silver Bear trophy from Camilla. Thus, Lu Ze's fifth Best Actor trophy... was in his hands.

"..."

(End of this chapter)