Young filmmakers in China look to return home after overseas study

Neil Bush, Chairman of the Bush China U.S. Relations Foundation, speaks at the Beijing Royal School Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 23, 2019. [Photo: China Plus]

Jackie Xing (邢世杰) is an 18-year old student filmmaker who came to public attention for his latest work, a short film named "Lu Se". The short was screened on Thursday at the Beijing Royal School Commencement Ceremony to an audience that included Neil Bush, the chairman of the Bush China U.S. Relations Foundation. The 5-minute-long film is dedicated to a high school student named Lu Se, who fails the college entrance exam.

"When the majority of young graduates are immersed in the joy of being able to enter college, people pay little attention to those who get rejected. This group, in particular, needs attention and encouragement," explained Xing, who is the film's writer and director.

Teamwork is a must when it comes to making a film. Xing's classmate Nathen Jia is the producer of his film. Jia is proud that the pair worked shoulder-to-shoulder.

"It took us less than two months from preparation to production. We spent our spare time on it after class. I was in charge of communicating with the cast, preparing stage props, and scouting shooting locations. It was quite amazing."

The actor who plays Lu Se and the film's cinematographer are also students at the Beijing Royal School. Though they are still at high school, Jackie Xing said he has produced nine or 10 films since his first year at the school. And he has made up his mind to move into a film-related major when he goes to college.

A still from the film "Lu Se", which debuted at the Beijing Royal School Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 23, 2019. [Photo provided to China Plus]

Xing received an offer today from the Film Department at New York University. "I think I was pretty much influenced by American films," he said with excitement. "But there are also many Chinese directors who are my favourites, like Wong Kai-Wai and Jiang Wen."

"I chose to go to college in the United States because I hope to learn advanced filming techniques there, and I can also focus on all types of social issues," he added.

Nathen Jia will say goodbye to his friend when he goes to college, although they will be alumni, as he has been admitted to the Abu Dhabi branch of New York University. "As far as I understand the college policy, I feel that they want to gather students from different countries, and prefer to see how we apply what we learn at college in filming when we return. I will definitely come back to contribute my own effort to China's prosperous film industry."

"Of course, this is our ground!" said Xing, who was sitting beside him. "The reason that I didn't choose a domestic film academy is because I hope to broaden my horizons. I know that the Chinese way of teaching cinema language is also professional, but according to my observations, they are sometimes confined when it comes to the choice of topics. I hope I can become open-minded through my learning experiences overseas."

Both Xing and Jia mentioned that the Beijing Royal School has launched lessons on audio-visual techniques, which they feel they're benefiting from. "This has made us become early birds, and allows us to get closer to realizing our ambitions." To date, few high schools in China offer classes such as these.

During the recent Beijing International Film Festival, a hot topic of discussion was the opportunities on offer for today's young filmmakers. Industry professionals agreed that young filmmakers have a wide range of choices when it comes to study, including the option to take study trips overseas. But there was also a consensus that China is becoming an increasingly attractive place for young filmmakers to realize their career dreams.