It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 66: Did he hook Han Sanping and turn him into a cuckold?

"The list of nominees for the main competition at the Cannes Film Festival has been announced."

As soon as Han Sanping finished speaking, everyone present answered their calls and focused their attention on Lü Rui.

At that moment, Lü Rui was also holding his phone.

The receiver crackled with excitement as Shen Ao shouted, "Brother Rui! 'The Pursuit of Happyness' has been selected for the main competition at Cannes!"

He even skipped class to report this exciting news as soon as possible.

"Okay, got it." Lu Rui hung up the phone, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

He had a feeling that this movie would be a hit!
When he first started writing the script, he added a lot of deep reflections on society and human nature to the original story.

At the same time, the Cannes Film Festival's preference for realism and its focus on documenting the changes of the times are also present.

The only thing missing is social critique.

He doesn't want to deliberately smear that era, so he might lack some competitiveness for major awards in that respect.

Of course, this is not important.

What is truly significant is that, with this, he has successfully joined the "Cannes Club" of Chinese-language cinema, becoming the 14th director to have his work shortlisted for the Cannes main competition, following 13 predecessors such as Chen Kaige, Zhang Yimou, and Hou Xiaoxian.

Regardless of whether he wins an award or not, just being nominated is enough to add another brilliant chapter to his career in the field of art films!
At the same time, what is even more remarkable is that he has successfully followed in the footsteps of Zhang Yimou, Li An, Cai Mingliang and others, becoming a director whose works have been shortlisted for the three major film festivals of Berlin, Cannes and Venice.

Looking across the Greater China region, only eight people have received this honor.

And now, he has officially become the 9th director to enter this "Hall of Fame" of the film industry!

Lu Rui, who is immersed in joy, has not yet realized the significance of this achievement.

But the gazes of those around him had changed from surprise to awe, as if they were witnessing a movie star breaking through the clouds at an astonishing speed and rising slowly!
"Congratulations, Director Lü! I wish you great success in your first attempt and hope you win another big prize."

After hanging up the phone, Dong Ping immediately came forward with a beaming smile and offered his congratulations.

Seeing this, the others also gathered around, offering their congratulations one after another.

"You flatter me, everyone."

Lu Rui nodded slightly, his tone humble, and did not become arrogant because of it.

He knew perfectly well that there were many people in the industry who were more capable than him.

These compliments are merely polite gestures; if you become complacent because of them, you'll only ruin your future!

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone gradually dispersed.

Before leaving, Han Sanping sighed and said with great regret, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have tried to get some investment share back then."

At the time, he didn't think much of it, assuming that Lü Rui's graduation project was just something to appease the school.

Who would have thought that his casual response would actually get him to the Cannes Film Festival!
"Haha, Chairman Han, the distribution rights have already been handed over to China Film Group, haven't they? We'll have plenty of opportunities to cooperate in the future," Lu Rui said with a smile, trying to reassure him.

After seeing everyone off, he instructed Zhao Peng to quickly submit the finished film for review before following Jiang Wei to the office.

After closing the door, the two immediately turned on their computers and started browsing news and information.

On the portal websites, news articles are being refreshed rapidly:
The main competition lineup for the 57th Cannes Film Festival has been announced, with two Chinese-language films, "2046" and "The Pursuit of Happyness," both selected!

"Congratulations to Lu Rui, a rising director from mainland China, and Wong Kar-wai, a renowned director from Hong Kong..."

"It's a pity! Director Zhang Yimou's new film 'House of Flying Daggers' missed out on the main competition awards."

"This year's Cannes jury is composed of Quentin Tarantino, Xu Ke, and others."

Jiang Wei slowly looked away from the screen, staring intently at Lü Rui as if examining a rare treasure.

Lu Rui felt a little uneasy under his gaze and broke the silence: "Teacher Jiang? Didn't you say you wanted to see me about something?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot about the real thing."

Jiang Wei snapped out of her daze and took a stack of documents out of the drawer and placed them on the table.

Lu Rui glanced at it; it was a graduation thesis topic selection application form.

"The other students have already decided on their topics. Are you planning to choose the school's set topic or create your own?" As she asked this, a hint of anticipation flashed in Jiang Wei's eyes.

Lu Rui keenly noticed his change in mood and smiled, "I'll come up with the topic myself."

"Good!" Jiang Wei took back the document with satisfaction, her tone revealing her relief. "Now you're a regular at the three major European film festivals and have also made a name for yourself in commercial films. I'm looking forward to you delivering an amazing performance to the school..."

Memories surged like a tide.

Jiang Wei truly admires his student.

To sum it up in one sentence: A dragon emerges from the abyss, soaring into the sky!
He still remembers that three years ago, Lü Rui barged into the crew of "Don't Talk to Strangers" and dragged him and Zhang Jiandong into being "free laborers".

At the time, neither of them expected that the movie "Gone Girl" would make Lü Rui, a sophomore, famous overnight!
Now, three years later, what he has accomplished is simply amazing!
It's worth noting that the Beijing Film Academy has been established for 54 years, yet no student has ever achieved such success during their studies!

This is an unprecedented achievement!

"The school has decided to offer you a place in the postgraduate program, and Professor Tian Zhuangzhuang happens to be supervising postgraduate students. Are you interested in staying on at the university for further studies?"

Jiang Wei's words surprised Lü Rui slightly.

Going to graduate school?

This means it will take at least three years.

But right now is the golden period for career advancement...

“Professor Jiang,” Lü Rui said hesitantly, “I am definitely interested, but I may not have enough time to research the topic.”

"Haha, I know you're a very busy person. Director Tian said he'll give you plenty of freedom."

At this point, Jiang Wei suddenly lowered his voice, "Actually, this is also the school's intention. Principal Zhang wants to make you a living billboard for Beijing Film Academy. If you're willing, you can still enjoy the school's resources even after graduation..."

If Lü Rui still doesn't understand now that things have been said this far, then all his achievements today would be in vain.

Beijing Film Academy wants to use his reputation to attract new students, and he will receive a series of benefits such as guaranteed admission to graduate school, relaxed academic requirements, and access to on-campus resources.

Never underestimate a school with over 50 years of history; it's a treasure trove of connections and resources!
What Lü Rui has come into contact with so far is only the tip of the iceberg.

“I accept.” He didn’t hesitate any longer. “Okay.”

Jiang Wei took out another document from the drawer.

"Please fill out this basic information first, and I will arrange the subsequent procedures. You can focus on your work."

"Thank you, Teacher Jiang."

After filling out the application for postgraduate admission, Lü Rui did not return to the company. Instead, she went straight home, packed a few changes of clothes, and headed straight for the airport.

With the Cannes nominations announced, the Hong Kong Film Awards are also about to be held, and he needs to go there.

With over ten nominations, it's safe to say that "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is bound to win an award.

Mei Yanfang's surgery was successful, and she is currently recovering.

Leslie Cheung stayed by her side every step of the way, and didn't have time to go back to attend the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Therefore, only Lü Rui, Jiang Wen (who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor), and Liu Yifei (who represented Mei Yanfang) attended this time.

The three were located in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hengdian respectively, so they had to set off separately and then meet up in Hong Kong.

During the layover, Lü Rui came across news of Zhang Weiping exchanging barbs with a reporter.

Months ago, he confidently stated that "House of Flying Daggers" would be sent to Cannes.

Now that the nominations have been announced, the film hasn't even made it into the main competition.

Many media outlets ridiculed him for boasting and exaggerating, but he retorted, "I only said I was going to screen at the film festival, I never said I was going to compete..."

This stubbornness only drew more boos.

In contrast, Zhang Yimou remained silent throughout.

He has always been a very low-key person, and with his recent involvement in the closing ceremony performance of the Olympics, he hasn't made a public appearance for quite some time.

Moreover, there are rumors circulating in the industry that he's going to make another movie soon, and he's going to cast a Japanese actor as the lead...

"Like an old ox, working hard without complaint."

Lu Rui sighed softly, just as he heard the boarding announcement. He then hurriedly headed towards the gate with his assistant.

While he was busy traveling around, on the other hand, Han Sanping met with Chen Kaige immediately after attending the screening of "Hitch".

He was really drooling over the movie "Hero" produced by New Pictures.

At the same time, the high returns from "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" further solidified his determination to bet on blockbusters.

Although Lu Rui's collaboration with Warner Bros. on "The Prestige" had an investment of 7000 million, Han Sanping still did not meet the standard of a "blockbuster".

Just then, Chen Kaige came up with a great movie.

[Eastern fantasy! Historical epic!]

These eight words, coupled with a huge budget of 3 million RMB, immediately made Han Sanping's mouth water.

……

When the plane landed in Hong Kong, Lü Rui got to experience a different kind of international metropolis.

Unlike the openness of the capital and the spaciousness of Los Angeles, the skyscrapers here grow densely like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, constantly extending the limited land upwards and creating a visually striking "three-dimensional city" landscape.

As he watched, a gleaming Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up beside him.

The car window rolled down, and Jiang Wen, who had arrived earlier, smiled and waved to him, saying, "Get in the car quickly."

Stepping inside the car, the next second, the feel of the genuine leather seats and the aroma of sandalwood trim waft over you.

Glancing at the luxurious furnishings around him, Lü Rui couldn't help but tease, "Director Jiang, you've got quite the entourage, haven't you?"

This person really has connections everywhere! They have friends all over the world.

"Haha, the boss of Yinghuang insisted on giving it to me. I thought it was too high-profile and didn't want to ride, but he insisted on giving it to me. He even provided a driver and bodyguards, making it seem like a leader was inspecting work."

bodyguard?

Lü Rui turned to look out of the car.

Well, there was a Mercedes-Benz following closely behind, one in front and one behind. Inside the car windows, a burly man in a suit and sunglasses had piercing eyes, just like a bodyguard in a movie.

"Oh, right, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet! You've been successfully nominated for Cannes, that's awesome! Are you going to be nominated for all three major European film festivals?"

Lu Rui shrugged: "Just joining in the fun, I might not even win an award, but I'll just go and broaden my horizons."

The two soon arrived at the hotel after traveling for a while.

"The rooms were arranged by Yinghuang, so don't be shy with them. We're all brothers. My room, your room, and Sisi's rooms are next to each other. The Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony is tomorrow night. You're not familiar with this area, so the three of us will walk the red carpet together..."

Jiang Wen spoke in great detail, having arrived early and clearly already arranged everything.

"Has your film wrapped up filming?" As he stepped out of the elevator, Lü Rui suddenly remembered that very perverted movie.

"It'll be soon, in about another month."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Wen suddenly changed the subject, "Oh, right, there's something else. Wang Zhonglei came to see me, wanting me to act as a go-between again. He's very interested in your new film."

Before Lü Rui could speak, he added, "I'm just passing on a message. After all, he came to us personally, so I can't refuse him."

But you don't need to worry too much, and you don't need to put yourself in a difficult position because of me. Just do what you need to do; whether or not to cooperate is entirely up to you.

Lu Rui smiled and replied, "Then I'll trouble you to pass on my message that he's welcome to come on the day we discuss the share, but we should give him a heads-up beforehand, as there are quite a few people eyeing this project."

Lu Rui certainly wouldn't refuse Jiang Wen's request.

Wang Zhonglei wanted to continue the collaboration, and he wasn't opposed to it.

Well, it all depends on whether he can afford to pay that price.

Just then, a soft, sweet voice called out from the end of the corridor: "Hello, senior~"

Liu Yifei peeked out from behind the door, her hair slightly curled and her eyes crinkling with laughter, looking just like a little kitten peeking at what was happening outside, playful and lively...

(End of this chapter)