2015 has been a stellar year for China's film industry, according to a report by China Daily.
Last year, the total box-office sales in the country reached 40.05 billion yuan ($6.18 billion)--a record-breaking number--according to the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
Aside from strong performance in the domestic film market, China's major private film companies also started to get noticed in the world of Hollywood in 2015, with firms like Huayi Brothers and Wanda being involved in several Hollywood blockbusters such as "Southpaw" and 'Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation."
Experts agree that the crossover is just the first step for China in exploring the global film market.
Chinese films have been exported to other countries for a long time, with some gaining awards at international film festivals. Others have built a solid fanbase. However, Chinese films have failed to create a splash in the recent years despite many deals, according to Luan Guozhi, deputy director of SARFT's film board.
To remedy the situation, Chinese film giants have taken it upon themselves to work in film production and getting more involved in Hollywood films.
"Hollywood is more keen on working with those in the film industry, after all," said Yu Dong, CEO of Bona Film Group, in an interview with China Daily. "They know better how to make it in the business."
Despite the initial success, the future remains unclear for Chinese film companies teaming up with foreign counterparts. One of the issues involve the gap between Chinese film companies in creativity, experience, scale, and more--things that make Hollywood hesitant to team up with foreign companies, according to a Peking University report.
"We still find it hard to make foreign audiences understand what's behind our films," said Luan. "More co-produced films make it easier, but we need to have more say in it (the process)."