Film and TV Industry Flourishes in Southeastern China's Coastal Gem
In December 1905, a silent film was screened on Kulangsu Island in Xiamen, Fujian Province, which is the city’s first recorded encounter with film, and the beginning of the connection between the city and the film industry.
That same year, China’s first-ever film, The Battle of Dingjunshan, was released. After weathering twists and turns, domestic film production has become a big industry and the country has a huge film market.
Today, Xiamen not only has many cinemas to screen films, but also is the place where films are shot and produced.
Xiamen is often called an open-air film studio. The city’s stunning landscape--lush forests, serene wetlands, and sparkling water--make it an ideal backdrop for filmmakers.The unique blend of Minnan or Hokkien culture, European-style architecture and a lively local atmosphere adds a distinctive charm, further enhancing its appeal to film productions.
In recent years, Xiamen has rolled out a series of policies aimed at boosting its film and TV industry. These initiatives have paved the way for a flourishing sector, attracting more companies and talented professionals to explore new opportunities. As a result, the industry has become a significant driver of the city’s economic and cultural development.
The 2024 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival opens in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on November 13, 2024 (XINHUA)
Movie magic
The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival is a highlight in Xiamen and its relationship with film.It is a combination of two festivals: the Golden Rooster Film Festival established in 1981 and the Hundred Flowers Film Festival launched in 1962.
Regarded as China’s top film event, the combined festival has been held in 26 cities across the country since its inception in 1992, but began to settle in Xiamen in 2019.
Organized by the China International Literature Association, the China Film Association, and the local government of the host city, the festival features a dynamic mix of award ceremonies, screenings, academic discussions, project incubation and international exchanges.
"The festival has grown thanks to the support of movie enthusiasts nationwide and Xiamen’s residents,” said Xie Li, Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, at the opening of the 37th edition, which took place on November 13-16, 2024.
Xie noted that the event has “innovatively developed, continuously shining brighter,” and has played a crucial role in advancing Xiamen’s film industry while enhancing the city’s cultural reputation.
Zeng Yuxin, a Xiamen native, began working onthe festival in 2023after completing her postgraduate studies in film in the UK. Now a specialist in the Screening andIndustry Department at Xiamen Film Festival Co. Ltd., Zeng is involved in organizing screenings and overseeing the Golden Rooster Short Film Season.
In 2024, the festival showcased both domestic films, such as the comedy Herstory directed by Shao Yihui, which explores themes of female freedom, and international films, including Megalopolis, a futuristic New York story directed by Oscar-winning filmmakerFrancis Ford Coppola. “That’s when I can really feel the passion directors have for their craft,” Zeng told Beijing Review.
"I also see how young directors connect with their peers and offer them opportunities to engage with audiences. Helping young filmmakers integrate into the industry is rewardingfor me,” she added.
Since 2023,the festival has introduced the “GRIFF Industry” section, which focuses on screening and promoting Chinese films. The edition in 2024 featured 17 events across three main areas: promotion, dialogue, and screenings. Special sessions included a promotion of films from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, a promotion for international film and TV intellectual property, and discussions on film technology and derivative content development.
Zeng explained that the goal of the section is to create a global platform for resource exchange and foster international collaboration.With the festival’s growing influence, Xiamen has become a hub for film and television production.
The event has attracted over 3,200 cultural and film companies, along with a wide range of projects, helping to cultivate a dynamic film industry ecosystem, according to the local government.
Building strength
In 2019, the same year that Xiamen began hosting the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, a film and television filming base was builtin the city’s Jimei District, opening the following year.
The base features a range of versatile sets, from hospital wards and villas to office buildings and digital studios, providing a convenient environment for filming. For instance, in the popular thriller series Reset, scenes involving moving vehicles were shot indoors here using LED screens to simulate roads, trees, and moving buses.
The base underwent an upgrade in 2023 to meet higher digital demands and stricter studio standards. It has already hosted 153 production crews and is quickly becoming a dream factoryfor filmmakers visiting Xiamen, filling a long-standing gap in the city’s lack of standard studios.
Favorable policies have encouraged many film companies to invest in Xiamen and develop their businesses here, said Zhong Yuan, General Manager of Xiamen Culture Film Group Co. Ltd.
As of the end of 2023, nearly 2,400 film and television companies were based in Xiamen, with hundreds of crews filming in the city every year, according to the local government.
In May 2024, Xiamen launched new measures to regulate and optimize film and TV production services, creating a one-stop platform. The initiative also established the Xiamen Film and Television Industry Service Center to better assist crews working in the city. Under the new system, production team--whether working on films, TV shows or variety program--can apply to the service center in advance for things like permits to film in public spaces.
"The main concern for any production team is whether they can complete their filming smoothly,” said Lin Xiaolong, who has been coordinating production services in Xiamen for over 10 years. “Now, we simply submit our location requests to the Film Service Center, and a dedicated coordinator handles everything, which saves us a lot of time and effort.”
Xiamen’s infrastructure and environment are particularly well-suited for filmmaking. However, Zhong noted that there is still a need for more professional talent, not just directors, screenwriters, and actors, but also essential roles like lighting technicians, cinematographers, set designers, and props specialists.
"Now, many universities in Xiamen offer film-related majors. I really hope that more professionals in different roles can be trained locally in Xiamen or even brought in from outside, to help boost the development of Xiamen’s film industry.”
By Li Qing
