I'm just trying to ride the wave of popularity!

Chapter 126 Tonight the Stars Are Shining
Some have described 2003 as a turbulent year for the Chinese film industry.

At the beginning of that year, the Hong Kong film "Undercover Detective" grossed nearly $30 million at the global box office, and more than 30 million high-definition Blu-ray discs were sold. According to one source, pirated discs officially broke the $100 million mark in less than a year, becoming an insurmountable milestone in the history of Hong Kong films and even the history of Chinese films.

Following the huge success of "Undercover Detective," dozens of similar films emerged in Hong Kong within just a few months...

Just when everyone thought that "Undercover Detective" was about to revitalize the increasingly sluggish Hong Kong film market and reshape the former Hollywood of the East...

Hollywood's three blockbuster films, "Digital Empire," "S. Men," and "RoboCop," swept the globe, leaving the Hong Kong film market completely overwhelmed.

In the first half of the year, apart from "Undercover Detective" which still managed to gain box office revenue in China, the entire Hong Kong film market for similar police and gangster films was characterized by a string of poorly made films. Often, a film would premiere one day and then fail to attract any audiences for a couple of days before being relegated to making way for Hollywood films, ultimately becoming a box office bank for Hollywood movies.

In mid-2003, numerous Hong Kong filmmakers with passion for cinema formed an organization called the "Hollywood Film Front." They began to gradually contact mainland China to co-produce films and invited mainland filmmakers to Hong Kong to share resources. They thought that even if they couldn't resist the booming Hollywood films, they could at least allow Chinese-language films to shine again...

As a result, several films were released one after another, but they were all overwhelmed by Hollywood movies and suffered huge losses...

By the end of the month, this hastily formed alliance had collapsed completely, with only one film based on the Water Margin, "A Better Tomorrow," barely managing to recoup some of the losses.

After this defeat, many film companies secretly lost faith in Chinese domestic films. Large companies like Tianyu Media even gave up some of their own production and distribution, and devoted all their resources to the import and promotion of Hollywood films, specifically serving Hollywood films...

Paying a hefty buyout fee to a Hollywood film is better than working hard to make a movie only to be beaten down and left breathless, right?
Chinese films? Hollywood films? Has Chinese cinema fallen?
What's it to them? It's just a movie, how much impact can it have? Who's crazy enough to turn down money? Let the public see what they want to see...

……

Does Chinese cinema have a future?

4 pm.

[Golden Horse Award] Judge Chung Kin-ming silently observed this year's [Golden Horse Award] nominated films and Hollywood movies...

Suddenly, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

Although the Golden Horse Awards platform primarily focuses on professional feature films, box office performance is not necessarily the main factor in awarding a film.

But when I saw "Undercover" receive 12 award nominations and enjoy immense success, while other films, though not terrible, mostly barely scraped by and made no real splash...

Zhong Jianming couldn't help but start to worry.

Taiwanese films mostly focus on youth, and while a movie titled "Youth Era" had some merit, it didn't offer many surprises...

As for the other dramas, they're just pointless whining...

Apart from "Undercover Detective", most of the other nominated films in the Hong Kong film market are stories about thieves and police, or martial arts films. The only bright spot is "A Better Tomorrow", a co-production between mainland China and Hong Kong. Although the box office was not bad, the Hong Kong film market in the second half of the year was extremely homogenized. It is no exaggeration to describe it as a decline.

Mainland Chinese films still have a rustic, unsophisticated feel. I'm not saying they're bad, but these films are all about the same themes that five generations of directors have exhausted...

The nascent sixth-generation filmmakers, taking on these projects, completely failed to capture any essence of the genre...

The only slightly bright spot was "The Haunted Village," but "The Haunted Village" is a horror film. Without his support, it would have been virtually unwatchable by any mainstream film, making it a dispensable scrap at the Golden Horse Awards...

As for commercial films...

In an era dominated by Hollywood blockbusters, many commercial film directors also made multiple films in 2003.

As a result, many projects failed, causing investors to lose confidence in the market.

It seems that since the millennium, after the fifth generation of directors gradually retired, none of the newly emerging sixth generation directors have been able to take the lead!
Zhong Jianming sighed.

Looking out the office window, I could see the venue for the Golden Horse Awards ceremony not far away...

Seeing more and more filmmakers coming, he cheered up a little.

..............................

4:15!
Chen Jiajia, a reporter from [Wandou Film Network], stood in the most prominent position for the media at the Golden Horse Awards, and excitedly posed for a photographer carrying a camera.

In fact, she had already led a group to stake out this place in the early hours of this morning.

As print media gradually declined, internet entertainment began to gain popularity, and many forward-thinking media professionals switched to the internet industry immediately.

Chen Jiajia is one of them.

Last month, she resolutely resigned from [Hong Kong Entertainment News Weekly] and joined [Wandou Film Network] as one of the website's field reporters...

A few days ago, she meticulously planned her trip, with a clear goal: to interview the hottest film at this year's Golden Horse Awards, "Undercover Detective," and to get firsthand information as quickly as possible...

In addition, we also interviewed Chen Liang, the lead actor in another youth film, "Youth of the Sea"...

The afternoon sun shone on this land...

A swarm of media crowded at the entrance of the Golden Horse Awards venue, with countless eyes excitedly fixed on the distance.

Chen Jiajia silently looked at Chen Liang's information and schedule, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Yesterday, Chen Liang's new album "The Present World" sold 2 copies, an astonishing figure, generating explosive buzz online...

Today is the Golden Horse Awards ceremony again, and Chen Liang has once again been nominated for Best New Actor. His acting in "Youth of the Sea" is remarkable, and according to inside sources, Chen Liang has a special relationship with this year's Golden Horse Awards judges. In a sense, the Best Actor award may still be in doubt, but the Best Newcomer award is a sure thing!

A multi-talented artist in both film and music! Moreover, he has achieved remarkable success in both fields!
Such a rising star was undoubtedly the most sought-after at this year's Golden Horse Awards. If you were late or missed the deadline, you might not even be able to get an interview.

Just as Chen Jiajia was doing her homework, the originally noisy venue suddenly erupted with a burst of excited and ear-piercing sounds!

Chen Jiajia was startled and quickly looked up into the distance. Then, when she saw a car approaching, she ran towards it like a madwoman...

"I'm coming!"

"quick!"

"The crew of 'Undercover Detective' is here!"

"..."

"Wow, Andy Lau is here! Andy Lau is so handsome! No wonder he's a legend in the entertainment industry. He sings so well and acts so well too! Ahhhhh!"

"Actor Leung is here too! Wow, wait, wait, wow, Tony Leung, I love you! Tony Leung, I love you!"

"My God!"

"Wow, goddess Zhou Tongtong is here! Ahhhh, I can't take it anymore..."

"..."

Chen Jiajia squeezed into the most conspicuous spot, holding the microphone and desperately pushing it forward!
When she saw a familiar, handsome figure step out of a luxury Mercedes-Benz, she couldn't help but shout with excitement.

The first to come down was Lau Chun-yip, a triple threat artist in film, television, and music, and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong directing in the 90s. At this moment, the Heavenly King Lau smiled and humbly accepted one interview after another amidst the screams of countless fans. Chen Jiajia successfully interviewed the Heavenly King Lau and not only did she interview him, she also took a photo with him!
Watching Andy Lau, who was being interviewed by countless media outlets and reporters, gradually disappear into the distance, the emotion he felt was indescribable...

But she didn't dwell on these emotions. She saw Leung Chung-wai again. The Best Actor Leung was walking down the aisle. Leung Chung-wai was one of the most acclaimed Best Actor winners of the Hong Kong film era, having participated in the Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards dozens of times, winning the Best Actor award five times. He had countless fans throughout the Chinese film industry. And this time at the Golden Horse Awards, his portrayal of an undercover police detective was considered a classic by many...

She rushed over excitedly once again...

……

With Andy Lau's opening...

Not far away, one luxury car after another drove up...

One by one, actors who once dominated the Hong Kong entertainment scene...

One after another, film queens, hot young actors, and innocent beauties...

Luxurious dresses and exquisite jewelry made this hundred-meter-long red carpet a veritable feast for the eyes, a vibrant display of beauty and elegance...

Chen Jiajia interviewed one person after another with great excitement!
Just as she was excitedly watching the next car and eagerly awaiting Chen Liang's arrival...

When a film crew arrived in several vehicles, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"My grass!"

"Who the hell is this?"

"My God, an Alto? Wait, damn it, an Alto? Wait, how did an Alto get in here... Where's the security guard?"

"what's the situation?"

"Holy crap, they're down?"

"Who is this person?"

"It seems to be Zhou Yang?"

"I rely on?"

"..."

After a brief uproar among the crew...

Chen Jiajia subconsciously looked into the distance!

Luxury cars were everywhere outside the venue, but to everyone's astonishment, there were also cars without trunks...

Alto cars!

Chen Jiajia was stunned!

Immediately afterwards...

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a figure wearing glasses stepped out of the Alto car...

Without a doubt, at the 40th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards, "Undercover Detective," hailed as the craziest film in China, won first place.

(End of this chapter)