Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 336: Support
"Koslick, if possible, I would love to attend this year's Berlin Film Festival, but I'm so sorry, I really can't make it! Of course, if I have a new film next time, I'll definitely make the Berlin Film Festival my first choice!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen also let out a soft sigh.

He was just called by Dieter Kosslick, the chairman of the Berlin Film Festival organizing committee, who naturally wanted to invite his film "Departures" to participate in this year's Berlin Film Festival.

Dieter Kosslick, who took office as president of the Berlin Film Festival organizing committee in 2002, has been working hard to revitalize the Berlin Film Festival in recent years, and therefore was very enthusiastic about inviting Wu Yuchen, an internationally renowned director.

When the organizing committee chairman personally calls to extend a warm invitation, it basically means that he guarantees you a generous reward and that you won't leave empty-handed.

Wu Yuchen wasn't lying to the other party. If possible, he would indeed like to attend the Berlin Film Festival. After all, in the beginning, he was able to rise to fame with "Car 44" and "Run Lola Run" thanks to the platform provided by the Berlin Film Festival.

These two films also greatly helped him; a short film Golden Bear directly earned him his first real pot of gold, and "Run Lola Run" helped him win the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival, opening the door to Hollywood. He also has a certain affection for the Berlin Film Festival.

But there's no way around it. Filming for "Departures" is only temporarily wrapped up. To wrap things up completely, we'll have to wait until March of next year. There are still a few scenes to shoot, depicting the changing seasons, including both winter and spring. It's simply too late to make it to Berlin in February.

In fact, it wasn't just the Berlin Film Festival that extended an invitation to him; Cannes Film Festival president Gilles Jacob and Venice Film Festival's newly appointed president Marco Müller also extended invitations to him.

The three major film festivals are actually in competition with each other. Wu Yuchen is currently engrossed in making commercial films in Hollywood. Now that he has finally made an art film, they are all eager to win him over.

To be honest, it doesn't really matter to Wu Yuchen whether he goes to Venice or Cannes. After all, he's long past the stage of relying on the three major film festivals to elevate his career. Now, whichever film festival he attends brings honor to that place!
As for this year's Oscars, he's even less likely to make it. He'll have to wait until next year!
For a film, the three major European film festivals and the Oscars are compatible, provided that it first participates in the three major European film festivals and then goes on to participate in the Oscars. For example, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" participated in Cannes and then went to the Oscars to win Best Foreign Language Film more than half a year later.

But if you go to the Oscars first, then sorry, the doors to the three major cinematic leagues are closed. Basically, no film that has already won an Oscar goes on to win at one of the three major leagues; this is the pride that the three leagues uphold.

So for Wu Yuchen and "Departures", this time they can first go to Cannes or Venice to make a splash, and then participate in the next Oscars.

Wu Yuchen calculated his time and realized that, apart from those few shots, most of the post-production work for the film "Departures," including the soundtrack, could be completed within the next few months, which would be more than enough time to participate in the Cannes Film Festival in May.

Of course, he hasn't just been working on the post-production of "Departures" these past few months. Before the new year, he plans to scout out locations and finalize the filming locations for "Batman" in China.

In "The Batman 1", Wu Yuchen planned to film the part where the protagonist Bruce Wayne travels the world in China, so he naturally had to decide on the location in advance.

He plans to go to Hollywood after the Chinese New Year to prepare for the filming, then bring the crew to China to finish filming this part of the movie. He also plans to take advantage of this time to attend the Cannes Film Festival, and then return to Hollywood to continue filming. The itinerary should be roughly the same.

……

On December 9th, Wu Yuchen walked the red carpet into the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Auditorium. Inside, Feng Xiaogang was the first to arrive; upon seeing Wu Yuchen, he hurried over, extending both hands and smiling as he said:
"Director Wu, thank you so much for coming to support us! Thank you so much!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Of course! I'm optimistic that Director Feng's 'A World Without Thieves' will be a great success!"

Feng Xiaogang grinned and said, "Alright, with Director Wu's golden words, I've felt much better after all that anxiety!"

The premiere of "A World Without Thieves" was a large-scale event, including a charity gala and a premiere screening. Over 600 people from the business and entertainment industries were invited, each paying 5000 RMB for an invitation. An additional 400 audience members could purchase premiere tickets for 200 RMB each to watch "A World Without Thieves" with representatives from the organizers and the film's creators. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Beijing Charity Association to establish the "Love Creates the Future" educational aid fund, supporting impoverished primary and secondary school students in Beijing.

After Wu Yuchen entered the banquet hall, many people came over to greet him.

Then, Wu Yuchen saw Liu Dehua looking energetic and couldn't help but go up to shake his hand, smiling as he congratulated him, "Congratulations! Golden Horse Best Actor!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Dehua was overjoyed: "Thank you, Director Wu! I would gladly trade this Best Actor award for a chance to be Director Wu's leading man!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his head: "You flatter me~ We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

He knew that Liu Dehua's words were probably only half true, after all, he had been waiting for this Golden Horse Award for a long time, and it was not easy for him to finally get it.

Speaking of Liu Dehua's Golden Horse Awards this year, we have to mention the time he was tricked at the Golden Horse Awards last year.

In my previous life, the competition for the 2003 Golden Horse Awards was fierce, with Lau Tak-wah and Leung Chiu-wai being the most popular choices. However, this time it was different because "Infernal Affairs" was released ahead of schedule in 2001 due to Wu Yu-chen's intervention, so Leung Chiu-wai could be considered to have achieved legendary status a year earlier.

At the 2003 Golden Horse Awards, Liu Dehua was nominated for his role in the film "Running on Karma." His competitors were Liu Qingyun from "Lost in Time," Ren Dahua from "PTU," and Wu Yanzu from "The Night of the Demon." This time, Liu Dehua was considered the frontrunner among the nominees.

The Best Actor awards ceremony has always been the highest-rated segment, so host Cai Kangyong naturally wanted to capitalize on it. Cai Kangyong first interviewed Wu Yanzu: "Wu Yanzu, do you think you can beat Liu Dehua?"

Wu Yanzu said "It's hard to say," and Cai Kangyong then turned to interview Ren Dahua, saying with a smile, "There's someone even braver. Wu Yanzu was sitting in the back, right next to Andy Lau." The whole audience burst into laughter.

Cai Kangyong: "Ren Dahua, between you and Wu Yanzu, who do you think is more likely to defeat Liu Dehua?"

Ren Dahua: "He (Wu Yanzu) is younger, and I am only two years older than him (Liu Dehua)."

Next, Cai Kangyong interviewed Andy Lau, whose response was very appropriate: "I really thought it was me every time."

At this point, the audience had already decided that Liu Dehua was the Best Actor winner, because during Cai Kangyong's interview, all the conversation revolved around Liu Dehua, and Liu Dehua himself thought so too.

When the award presenter announced the results, the winner was Liu Qingyun for "Unforgettable".

This is really awkward. The entire interview was a promotional effort for Lau Tak-wah, practically announcing his Best Actor award on the spot, and then this happened! Lau Tak-wah's fans were really excited back then.

Many people in the industry have also criticized the Golden Horse Awards for going too far this year. Huang Qiusheng, known for his outspokenness, posted an angry message denouncing Cai Kangyong for "teasing" Andy Lau.
"I feel sorry for Andy Lau. He's a good person, and the Golden Horse Awards shouldn't have treated him like that. The things the host said were like making Andy Lau happy and then pouring cold water on his head. If the host already knew the outcome but still did that, I think it was an insult to Andy Lau! Is it because Andy Lau is a good person and doesn't get angry that he was bullied like this?" This incident obviously made Andy Lau feel very embarrassed and angry. About 20 years later, Ning Hao and Andy Lau collaborated on a scene in "Mr. Red Carpet".

The 2004 Golden Horse Awards, which took place just a few days ago, focused on "resolving past grievances." During the Best Actor presentation, Cai Kangyong wore a mask with the words "Support Lau Tak-wah" written on it, and publicly stated that he had given Andy Lau an unpleasant feeling last year, and that he should wear a mask and refrain from speaking carelessly this year.

Then there's another classic scene: Lin Chi-ling, as the female host, went offstage to interview the candidates. She was wearing a fur coat when interviewing others, but when it came to Liu Dehua, in order to show her sincerity, she took off her fur coat and wore only a revealing fitted dress, giving Liu Dehua a tighter hug, which made the whole audience cheer in an ambiguous way. Liu Dehua then personally put the coat back on her.

When it came time to present the Best Actor award, as expected, Lau Tak-wah won the award for his role in "Infernal Affairs III," fulfilling his wish and providing the Golden Horse Awards with a resolution to the matter.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Andy Lau, Wu Yuchen was approached by a figure who smiled and put his arm around his.

Andy Lau smiled as he watched his leading lady in the film clinging to Wu Yuchen's arm, and said directly, "Director Wu, I'll go prepare for the auction first."

Andy Lau politely left without further ado, no longer wanting to be a third wheel for Li Xiaoran and Wu Yuchen.

Li Xiaoran gently pinched Wu Yuchen: "You came here but didn't come to see me first!"

"I looked around but didn't see you! Did you just come out after you finished putting on your makeup?" Wu Yuchen asked with a smile.

"No, that's not it. I overheard the host talking backstage about the auction process, and I have to go on stage later!"

Wu Yuchen asked curiously, "Oh? Does that mean each of you lead actors has to put something up for auction? What are you selling?"

Li Xiaoran chuckled and said, "I won't tell you yet, you'll see in a bit~"

Then, as if remembering something, Li Xiaoran pulled Wu Yuchen aside and said, "Come on, let me introduce you to someone!"

Li Xiaoran led Wu Yuchen through the hall. People in the crowd kept greeting Wu Yuchen, and he smiled politely at them.

A moment later, Wu Yuchen followed Li Xiaoran's footsteps and saw a short figure in front of him. The figure had a youthful face and was wearing an orange-red jacket. He looked like a young man from the county, standing there somewhat bewildered and helpless, completely out of place with the others present.

Li Xiaoran laughed and called out, "Baoqiang!"

Upon hearing the voice, Wang Baoqiang immediately turned around, greeted her with a smile, and called out, "Sister!"

In the movie "A World Without Thieves", Wang Baoqiang's character, Sha Gen, always called the female thief Li Xiaoran "sister". It seems that he has kept this title in private as well.

"Baoqiang, look who I brought here!" Li Xiaoran said proudly, pulling Wu Yuchen beside her.

Wang Baoqiang stared at Wu Yuchen, his eyes wide, and then stammered, "Wu, Wu, Wu Yuchen!"

Looking at Wang Baoqiang, who was standing there looking a bit dazed, Wu Yuchen smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, I'm Wu Yuchen."

Wang Baoqiang immediately reached out and shook hands with Wu Yuchen, his face filled with excitement and joy: "Director Wu! I'm your idol! No, I'm your fan! I've watched your movies so many times! I even applied to be an extra in your film crew!"

As Wang Baoqiang spoke, he waved his hand vigorously, his whole body pounding with excitement. After all, this was the most outstanding director in China today! A leading figure in Chinese cinema on the world stage!

"Oh? Which movie?" Wu Yuchen asked curiously. If Wang Baoqiang had appeared in front of him, he should have some recollection of him.

"It was several years ago, with the movie 'Mr. Donkey'! But back then, they told me the crew was recruiting extras in western Shanxi, and they didn't want me."

Wu Yuchen smiled. "I see. They must not have even met."

At this moment, Li Xiaoran said, "Alright, alright, Baoqiang, how long do you plan to hold on?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baoqiang quickly let go of her hand, scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, and grinned foolishly.

At this moment, Li Xiaoran smiled at Wu Yuchen and said, "I told him I could introduce you to him, but he didn't believe me!"

Wang Baoqiang quickly said, "Sister, I don't disbelieve you, I just... I just..."

"Just what?"

Li Xiaoran deliberately put her hands on her hips and pressed for an answer. Seeing that Wang Baoqiang couldn't answer even after a few tries, she smiled and said, "Alright, I've brought the person to you. Treat us to dinner later!"

Wang Baoqiang immediately exclaimed happily, "Great!"

Hearing Wang Baoqiang's simple "okay," Wu Yuchen smiled. He knew that Li Xiaoran had taken the initiative to introduce him to Wang Baoqiang because she thought he was a good person. And to have Wang Baoqiang treat them to a meal was an opportunity many people in the industry would kill for.

Wu Yuchen understood that Li Xiaoran probably wanted him to help this honest boy who caught her eye, so he smiled and praised, "Baoqiang, I've seen your performance in 'Blind Shaft,' it was great!"

When Wang Baoqiang heard Wu Yuchen's praise, he smiled so broadly that his gums were showing.

(End of this chapter)