"Ah Chong, do you want to take over the Hong Kong International Film Festival?" Chen Baisheng was a little puzzled, he hesitated and said: "It's not profitable to do a film festival." ”

"Do you really think that I'm like Lao Luo said, I can't afford to be early?" Shen Chong smiled, he picked up the small metal colander, and said while scooping fish balls from the hot pot: "I have some ideas, and I plan to make the film festival bigger and stronger." ”

"Come on, Boss Shen, the Hong Kong International Film Festival is not big." Luo Weiming was dismissive and said: "The Hong Kong government is very rich, but those ghosts have never looked down on us for making movies, Bai Sheng, you sue him, when the first film festival was held in 1977, how much budget did the government give?" ”

"110,000." Chen Baisheng smiled bitterly and said: "And the government stipulates that the ticket must be collected to return the capital, otherwise it will be suspended." ”

"110,000 Hong Kong dollars is not a dollar, such a small amount of money, the Hong Kong government is purely calling for flowers." Luo Weiming rested his arms on the table, leaned forward, and said very unhappily: "Since the name is the Hong Kong International Film Festival, of course, you have to buy some foreign film copies and put them back to be called an international film festival, but what can 11 million do?" Buying copies, translating, subtitling, pamphlets, and renting a venue for screenings all cost money. At that time, if it weren't for Bai Sheng and a few wronged leaders to do voluntary labor for free, the film festival would have died a long time ago. ”

The Hong Kong International Film Festival is still a little famous in later generations, I can't imagine that it was so difficult to be born, Shen Chong heard about it for the first time, he asked curiously: "So miserable?" ”

"It's really miserable." Chen Baisheng took a sip of beer and said with some emotion: "The budget of 110,000 yuan is really nothing, there are only three salaried full-time positions in the entire preparatory committee, and the rest are volunteers like me, Brother Shi Qi is also there, he is responsible for translation, I am responsible for finding movies from the house books of some foreign film festivals, and then calling to order a copy and ask the other party to mail it, I didn't get a program introduction, I didn't have money to make posters, I just printed a bunch of screening sheets and flyers everywhere, but fortunately, the audience was enthusiastic, 5 yuan a ticket, and it was sold out quickly, and finally 110,000 yuan was earned back, so that the film festival could continue. ”

"And now?" Shen Chong finished eating the fish balls and asked, "How much budget is there now?" ”

Luo Weiming shook his finger and said, "I don't know how much I can give this year, but I know last year's budget, this amount." ”

"4o thousand?"

"That's right, it's only 4o thousand, which is not as much money as you make in a day." Luo Weiming took the wine glass and said, "With such a small budget every year, how can you become bigger and stronger?" Of course, if Boss Shen is high-spirited and has the heart to give back to the citizens and pay out of his own pocket, then it will be another matter. ”

"Lao Luo, don't put a high hat on me, I have a big head and can't wear it." Shen Chong laughed and didn't answer directly, but asked Chen Baisheng: "What is the purpose of your film festival?" ”

"There are three main objectives: first, to give Hong Kong people the opportunity to enjoy excellent films from all over the world and experience the increasingly sophisticated filmmaking technology; The second is to screen the works of Hong Kong filmmakers and directors at the festival to encourage them to strive for excellence. As one of the founders, Chan Pak Sang is very familiar with the purpose of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and he kept saying: "The third is to do some retrospective exhibitions of Hong Kong films, so that the public can have the opportunity to revisit the history of Hong Kong's film industry and appreciate its achievements, in short, to promote film culture, improve the level of film production and the audience's appreciation." ”

"Brother Chen, you, Editor-in-Chief Lin, and Lao Luo." After listening to this, Shen Chong casually tapped the three people present with chopsticks and said: "You are all traditional Chinese literati in your bones, too literary and noble, full of ideas to educate the people, I admire it, but the idea is good, but the practice is not advisable."

"What did Mr. Shen say?" Lin Niantong was the most bookish of these people, and he asked puzzledly: "Aren't film festivals held by countries around the world all for the purpose of promoting film culture?" ”

"The United States still says that they are the hope of mankind, how can they be taken seriously." Shen Chongsun laughed and said: "Film is different from other arts, it is a commodity, it is a commodity, it must follow the laws of commerce, Hong Kong is a free port, and pursues a liberal economic philosophy, in this environment, it is not promising to forcibly promote the so-called film culture." ”

"We didn't force it." Chen Baisheng retorted: "We just organized the screening of the movie, and we did not forcibly sell movie tickets, nor did we force the audience to enter the cinema, but they were willing. ”

"The Hong Kong International Film Festival, local works and historical works, is not the protagonist, the protagonist is to screen excellent foreign films, right? But the films that are screened are all selected by you in advance. Shen Chong put down his chopsticks and explained: "You deprive the audience of the right to choose, they can only watch movies that the organizing committee thinks are excellent, not movies that the audience thinks are excellent." ”

"That's not a problem, is it?" Lin Niantong said: "The movies we choose are all recognized as excellent films in the world. ”

"During the film festival last year, I happened to be in the mainland and didn't participate, but I looked at the conference catalogue and the list of participating films, and what you think are excellent films are all literary and artistic films that focus on artistic connotation." After Shen Chong finished speaking, he pointed to the hot pot and said: "Take eating hot pot as an example, for example, Lao Luo, the owner of this shop, he likes to eat vegetarian dishes, so he only enters ingredients such as green vegetables and tofu, customers can only pick and choose among these things, those who like to eat meat definitely don't like to come, but like to eat vegetarian, after eating too much, they also want to change their taste, now the momentum of the film festival is acceptable, but after a few years, after the movie-watching group stabilizes, it will be difficult to show it." ”

When Chen Baisheng heard this, he was thoughtful.

Lin Niantong, who is also one of the veterans and organizers of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, took the cigarette handed over by Luo Weiming and asked, "What does Mr. Shen mean that we should expand the types of films selected?" ”

"And that's not all." Shen Chong said while adding vegetables to the hot pot: "There is nothing wrong with showing Hong Kong's currently produced films, but the third rule, doing a retrospective exhibition, allowing the audience to relive the history of Hong Kong's film industry and appreciate its achievements, is a bit short-sighted, and in the long run, it will restrict the exhibition of the film festival."

Luo Weiming asked, "Why?" ”

"It's simple." Shen Chong said as a matter of course: "Hong Kong films lack heritage, how many achievements can be revisited?" In total, in terms of decades of history, twenty or thirty accomplished people, looking back last year, looking back this year, what about ten years from now, twenty years from now? Do you want to do it all over again? It's been a long time, and it tastes like chewing wax, in short, I don't think the Hong Kong International Film Festival should be held like it is now. ”

Chen Baisheng glanced at Lin Niantong, and then asked in unison, "Then what should I do?" ”

"Before talking about this topic, Brother Chen, you first tell me, is there any chance to get the right to host the Hong Kong International Film Festival?"

"I don't think there's a problem." Chen Baisheng thought for a while and said: "Hong Kong is now fully engaged in the construction of an international financial center, and the Urban Council has no intention of holding a film festival. ”

"But Boss Shen, you have to think clearly." Luo Weiming smoked a cigarette and poured cold water and said: "The film festival is a cultural event, and the Hong Kong government will never hand it over to a commercial company to operate, otherwise it will be scolded to death by the media, and the Legislative Council will not pass it.

"That's fine." Shen Chong said with a smile: "Don't forget, in addition to the film company, I also have a Hong Kong Film Culture Center, the Film Culture Center is an educational institution, use its name to apply, no problem, right?" ”

"Hong Kong Film Culture Centre?" Lin Niantong asked: "Is it the film training school that Shu Qi ran the year before last?" ”

"That's it." Luo Weiming nodded in response to him, then pointed at Shen Chong with his finger holding the cigarette, and said, "Boss Shen, you acquired the Hong Kong Film Culture Center at the end of October last year and reorganized and registered it as an educational institution, was it premeditated, right?" ”

Shen Chong laughed twice and said, "To be honest, when I proposed to hold the Hong Kong Film Awards, I was playing with the idea of the Hong Kong International Film Festival. ”

"The film festival father doesn't love his mother, he doesn't love it, and his stepmother raises it." Luo Weiming took a puff of cigarette and said, "Boss Shen, what do you like about it?" ”

"There is a poem called "Scenery should be long-term, whether it is to be a person or to do things, the vision should be long-term, not just the present." Shen Chong dragged a sentence, then picked up a chopstick with his left hand and right hand, and gestured and said: "This hand is the Hong Kong International Film Festival, I want to build it into a world-class film exchange platform, this hand is the Hong Kong Film Awards, I want to make it a grand event in the Chinese film circle, condense the energy of all Chinese filmmakers, and then go out from the window of the Hong Kong International Film Festival and sell it to the world, so that one inside and one outside, one China and one ocean, complement each other, after these two are done, Hong Kong, It's the film capital of the world."

The three listeners were silent, and after half a sound, Luo Weiming was amazed, he hugged his fists, and said: "Boss Shen, your ambition, I admire Lao Luo, I really admire." ”

"Sounds like a pipe dream." Shen Chong put down his chopsticks and said, "But it's very hot-blooded, right?" ”

"That's right" Lin Niantong and Shen Chong were not familiar with each other, and he had been calm and silent, but at this time, he responded loudly, he picked up the wine glass, and said: "Mr. Shen, I toast you, for this daydream"

Chen Baisheng and Luo Weiming also stood up, held their wine glasses, touched each other, and said loudly: "For this daydream"

Everyone craned their necks, and after drinking all the wine in the glass, Lin Niantong asked first: "Mr. Shen, we already have eyebrows for the Academy Awards, tell me, what should we do with this film festival?" ”

"It's simple, change the way you play now." Shen Chong picked up the wine glass, asked Luo Weiming to pour the wine, and said: "We don't take the initiative to choose the films to be exhibited, let the film company send it by itself." ”

"Ah Chong, do you mean it's the same as the three major European film festivals?" Chen Baisheng questioned: "Cannes, Venice and the Berlin Film Festival, they have history, fame, and the awards they give are authoritative and can drive the box office, so the film company will take the initiative to participate in the exhibition. ”

"And I don't have the money to hold an awards ceremony." Luo Weiming poured good wine for everyone, then put down the wine bottle, and joked: "The three major festivals in Europe are Prince Charming, we are Cinderella, these three festivals have exclusive regulations, and the films that have been awarded at other film festivals are not included, we just want to engage in award activities, and the film company will hide it and not take it out." ”

"Prince Charming has the play of Prince Charming, and Cinderella has the play of Cinderella." Shen Chong didn't think about it, and said: "They play their Bai Fumei, we play our poor and short Du, poor, which refers to small-budget movies, short, refers to short films with a duration of less than one hour, and Du, refers to independently produced films." ”

"Europe, not counting the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, only Western Europe and Northern Europe, produced more than 3oo films last year, but of them, only about 5o could be screened in cinemas, and the rest disappeared and became scrap." Shen Chong continued: "There are more films in the United States that cannot be screened in theaters than this number, and the same is true in Hong Kong, where a third of the two or three hundred films last year were not sold. ”

"If we turn the Hong Kong International Film Festival into a big bazaar for film buying and selling." Shen Chong finally concluded: "You say, will the film company take the initiative to deliver movies? ”

"Boss Shen, your idea is not new." Luo Weiming said: "Berlin, Cannes in addition to awards, also engaged in film trading, they have a special European film market. ”

"Lao Luo, the rice should be eaten slowly one bite at a time." Shen Chong ate hot pot and explained: "Germany and France are all in Europe, go there, plane tickets are very expensive, and Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, there are many movies that cannot be released every year, we can do business in Asia first, and after a few years, the backers behind us will rise, and those Europeans and Yankees will take the initiative to come over." ”

"Backer?" Luo Weiming was stunned for a moment and asked, "What backer?" ”

"Mr. Shen is talking about the mainland." Lin Niantong, who has personally been to the mainland and cooperated with mainland magazines many times, said: "If the mainland can maintain the current number of moviegoers, as long as the economy goes up and ticket prices increase, it will soon be able to cross North America and become the world's largest film market. ”

"That's right, I think the Hong Kong International Film Festival has a lot to offer." Chen Baisheng knocked on the table excitedly and said: "Maybe it can be on par with the three major European film festivals at that time." ”

Shen Chong smiled but said nothing, his Hong Kong International Film Festival plan is actually a combination of Sundance Independent Film Festival and Alibaba's hR creativity, on the one hand, in order to tap outstanding film talents in the surrounding areas, and on the other hand, to build a complete film sales network, so as to facilitate Chinese films to go out in the future.

However, the implementation of this plan is not a simple matter, if you want to build a hypermarket, the key is to see whether there are many customers, whether the market is big enough, if there is no trading volume, the film festival is a laughing stock, Shen Chong temporarily intends to focus on videotapes, supplemented by the cinema market in Southeast Asia and Japan, to maintain a certain trading volume, as for the mainland, although the prospect is promising, but in recent years, there is little hope......

"But ......" Lin Niantong pondered for a while and said: "In this way, the Hong Kong International Film Festival has become a purely business exhibition, and it has lost the meaning of holding a film festival." ”

"Editor-in-chief Lin, doing business and promoting film culture are not in opposition to each other." Shen Chong explained: "Within ten steps, there must be herbs, so many films that cannot be released every year, there must be pearls, the Hong Kong International Film Festival can also do competition units, from which to dig out the buried good films, besides, film is a very expensive art, it is generally difficult for newcomers to get high financial support, can only make low-cost films and independent short films, we do film festivals, we can present those talented newcomers, give them the necessary guidance and support, this is also a way to promote films." ”

"Then do you want to do the rest of the activities?" Lin Niantong asked: "For example, the Hong Kong Film Retrospective Exhibition, the exhibition of the works of world-renowned film directors and other cultural promotion activities. ”

"Do, of course, cultural exchange is indispensable." Shen Chong nodded without hesitation, he made a helpless gesture and said: "Editor-in-chief Lin, Lao Luo is a famous long-tongued man, chewing the root of his tongue everywhere, don't believe him, I am really not a mercenary person." ”

Luo Weiming picked up the empty wine bottle, made a threat, and said: "Boss Shen, you are not mercenary, tell me, have you ever done a loss-making business?" ”

"How come I haven't done it." Shen Chong laughed and said: "You are a typical example, tell me yourself, how many issues of "Film Age" have been lost?" Have I given you a dime less than your salary? ”

Luo Weiming put down the bottle, smiled awkwardly, and said: "When I first started, I did lose a little, but now "Film Times" sells 250,000 or 60,000 copies per issue, and I will soon be able to make up for the shortfall." ”

"Lao Luo, we must guard against arrogance and rashness, and continue to work hard." Shen Chong said old-fashionedly: "Of the more than 200,000 sales, there are only 100,000 in the mainland, you must know that the first issue of "Popular Movie" sold 5o thousand, and now the print run of each issue starts at 4 million, and you are still far behind." ”

"Popular Movie" has the right time, place and people, and it can't be compared." Luo Weiming waved his hand, he shifted his firepower, and said: "As long as it sells more than "First Film Review", I will be satisfied." ”

"Lao Luo, it's a shame that you also said it." Lin Niantong did not show weakness and counterattacked: "Although the sales of "First Film Review" are only in the early 100,000s, they have never lost money, and why don't you compare your reputation with us? Can Age of Cinema become a magazine in the designated collection of the University of Hong Kong Library? ”

Shen Chong saw Luo Weiming's depressed face, picked up the wine glass, and said: "Old Luo, come, drink, it was a joke just now, don't mind, and Editor-in-Chief Lin, come and have a drink together, I am very satisfied with the current situation of the magazine, you have worked hard." ”

Luo Weiming drank all the wine and said ruthlessly: "Boss Shen, by the end of this year, I will definitely let the magazine sell more than 4o thousand, if you can't do it, you fire me squid." ”

"That's not going to work." Shen Chong smiled and said, "I made a bet that I would even work for the rest of my life, how could I let you run away so lightly." ”

Putting down the wine glass, Lin Niantong asked, "Mr. Shen, when do you plan to apply for the right to host the international film festival?" ”

"It's too late this year, let's do it next year." Shen Chong rubbed his cheeks and said, "And I still have some supporting work that I haven't done well." Brother Chen, you continue to prepare for the film festival this year, and by the way, help me prepare for the application. ”

"No problem."

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