Movie ticket-selling shifts from traditional to online platform as part of the rapid transformation of China's film sector. (Photo : Reuters)
Wang Xiaoshuai, a Chinese director, screenwriter and actor, has urged Chinese theaters to make space for both art house films and 3D blockbusters alike.
According to an article by THR, Wang said that with the huge Chinese market and the recent boost in popularity of independent films, there should be a place for every kind of movie to get fair amount of screen time.
This uproar is seemingly caused by the disappointing box-office performance of Wang's recent film, "Red Amnesia." The film, while extending great efforts in terms of marketing and publicity, still failed to recoup its budget, earning only $130,000.
"We all know, the Chinese market is big and we are confident the market will have the space for this film. But we were very surprised and shocked about the screenings. Screenings were either in the early morning or late at night. I felt that the market was going backwards instead of forward," he told THR.
Having been only screened at 23,600 screens, which accounts for only 1.3 percent of China's local cinema venues, Wang issued a manifesto declaring that he believed the failure of his film in the box office was caused by such limited screening given that "Red Amnesia" is almost universally acclaimed.
"Red Amnesia" was invited to be screened at several international film festivals since its completion last year. It was among the popular movies featured in both Busan and Toronto International Film Festivals. It would also be shown by Wanda, a theater chain owned by AMC in the U.S.
To Wang, this proves that there is no question in the quality of his film.
