China raves over record 14 filmmakers invited to join Academy
BEIJING: A record number of fourteen Chinese filmmakers and actors have been invited to become new members of the Academy, with the news making headlines throughout Greater China.
“China raves over record number of Chinese filmmakers to join the Academy,” one headline declared.
Meanwhile, some commentators said that the Academy’s decision to include more Chinese and Asian faces was an effort to boost diversity rather than a bow by Hollywood to China, and that the new Chinese additions would have a negligible impact on Chinese films’ Oscar prospects.
But others are more optimistic saying that it could boost the country’s chances of winning an Oscar.
The fourteen industry heavyweights from mainland China and Hong Kong are among the 774 new invited members.
The 10 invitees from Hong Kong are actresses Maggie Cheung and Carina Lau; actors Tony Leung and Donnie Yen; directors Peter Ho- Sun Chan, Ann Hui, and Johnnie To; producers Nansun Shi and Norman Wang; and writer directorYa uN ai-hoi.
Four big names from mainland China who made the list are actress-producer Fan Bingbing, who was a jury member at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; actor- director Jiang Wen; writerdirector Feng Xiaogang; and cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding.
Other notable Asian names on the list include South Korean director Kim Ki- duk, Japanese director Takashi Miike, and Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung.
It wasn’t the first time that people from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were invited to join the Academy. Previously, Hong Kong director John Woo, mainland director Jia Zhangke,
A few people from China are not going to make any difference in Chinese films getting nominations. Peter Tsi, producer
actress Zhang Ziyi, and Taiwanese directors Ang Lee and Hau Hsiao-hsien were asked to join. But it was the first time to see a more substantial number of Chinese names on the list.
According to China web news portal xcnnews.com, filmmaker and culture critic Gao Xiaosong blamed China’s repeated failure in the Oscars race on the low representation of Chinese filmmakers in the Academy, making it difficult to lobby members to vote for Chinese films. He said that raising the number of Chinese members would boost Chinese films’ chances.
But producer Peter Tsi said that the Academy’s decision was about increasing diversity rather than pleasing China. He said that those being invited to join reflected American perception of Chinese cinema as being completely commercial- oriented rather than artistic.
“A few people from China are not going to make any difference in Chinese films getting nominations,” Tsi said.