In a relatively dilapidated hutong in the west of the capital, several courtyard houses have been cut into many single rooms and rented out by the owner.

In one of the small single rooms, which covers an area of only seven or eight square meters, a young man in thin clothes is constantly making phone calls.

"Mr. Li, my script is really good, as long as you invest money, I will definitely be able to shoot it well!"

"Don't talk nonsense, you are not a Nortel graduate, the second is not a Chinese opera, and even Shanghai opera is not."

"What kind of students who came out of the School of Radio, Film and Television still want to make movies?"

"Do you believe that I took the money and went to the door of Nortel to shout, and dozens of students from Nortel's directing department rushed to help me make a movie?"

"I need you?"

"Stop calling and harassing me!"

Listening to the insulting sound on the other end of the phone, Li Ruijun's expression did not change in the slightest, but he bit his lower lip.

It wasn't until the blind sound of hanging up came from the other end of the phone that he sighed, flipped out another mobile phone number and called out.

"Hey, Qianjun, the crew should be formed as soon as possible."

"How?" A thick voice came from the other end of the phone, "Are you pulling in for investment?" ”

"Nope." Li Ruijun shook his head and said firmly: "I plan to go back to my hometown and sell the wedding house that my parents prepared for me in the city!" ”

"With these hundreds of thousands, it's enough to make this movie."

Li Ruijun knows very well that as a director from a small media college who is not well-known and cannot rank first in the province, it is difficult for him to rely on empty words to attract investment.

I don't know how many directors who graduated from the three major majors, their debut films were all made by selling houses and cars to make enough investment, and finally filmed.

What's more, he?

He also did this kind of thing!

"Hey, Ruijun, don't be impulsive." On the other end of the phone, Liu Qianjun, Li Ruijun's good friend and the chief cameraman of the crew he booked, persuaded again and again: "Don't sell the house yet." ”

"Have you seen the QQ group?"

"In the light and shadow era of director Wu Yuan, they launched a young director support program, as long as the director is under the age of 40, he can send the script to their work mailbox."

"If the script passes the preliminary review, an offline interview will be conducted, and if this interview is also passed, it is possible to get the support of the light and shadow era."

"According to their promotional poster, Light and Shadow Times has prepared 30 million yuan this time, and plans to support 5-6 directors, and each director can get an average investment of five or six million!"

"Isn't that more than the money you get from selling your house?"

"If you're really confident in your script, give it a try in the Age of Light and Shadow!"

"Those investors' vision is not good, but Director Wu's vision is always okay, right?"

"If Director Wu thinks the script is not good, I don't think you really need to tie your heart to this movie, and then make a new script."

"Is there such a thing?" Li Ruijun asked blankly, "Why don't I know?" ”

"It just came out today."

"As long as the poster of this youth support program is spread everywhere in the post bars, forums, and QQ groups related to the movie, it should be true."

Li Ruijun hung up the phone directly, picked up the most valuable thing in the whole room, an ASUS laptop, and hurriedly logged in to his QQ.

Sure enough, in his college classmates, the classmates were chatting fiercely about this youth support program in the era of light and shadow.

kept pulling up and flipping through the chat records, and soon Li Ruijun found the promotional poster that spread all over the Internet.

"The Age of Light and Shadow - Young Director Support Program!"

The title is plain, but the content is really powerful!

Just the 30 million yuan taken out of the real money, plus the qualifications that can only be applied by young directors under the age of 40, made Li Ruijun's heart beat fast.

He undoubtedly met this condition!

Hurriedly, he sent his resume and his original movie script "Summer Solstice" to the work email announced on the poster.

"I hope to be chosen" Li Ruijun muttered as he looked at the prompt interface on the screen that was successfully sent.

It's not just him.

Although there are no social platforms such as Weibo in this era, the speed at which information is disseminated on the Internet is still very fast.

In the office of the teacher of the Literature Department of the Beijing Film Academy, an undergraduate teacher stared at the poster on the computer, and in her hand, there was a movie script that she had written for many years and had not finished.

On the cover of the script, there are four big words written by herself: Ocean Paradise.

Also in the capital, in an office building not far from the Huairou Film and Television Base, Cheng Er also looked at the poster on the computer and thought silently.

He is a graduate of the 96-level directing department of the Beijing Film Academy and Wu Yuan's direct brother.

Cheng Er made a name for himself as a student with a number of experimental short films.

In 1999, the year Cheng Er graduated, his graduation short film "Criminals" participated in the short film competition of six or seven film festivals and independent film festivals.

Although he didn't win any awards in the end, being shortlisted for the competition is already something to be proud of for a newly graduated rookie director.

However, the saying that graduation is unemployment did fall on him.

From 1999 to 2005, Cheng Er did not get a chance to direct a feature-length film independently.

He has already prepared a script for a feature-length movie, but the theme of black thrillers has made him repeatedly attract investment and has been rejected by investors.

It's really not anyone's interest in Chinese noir thrillers, thinking that there is no market for this kind of movie in the mainland.

Faced with this dilemma, Cheng Er was also a little helpless.

Until, his classmates sent him a support plan for young directors in the era of light and shadow.

It stands to reason that as Wu Yuan's direct senior brother, he should have no face to accept the financial support of his junior brother.

But Cheng Er looked at the poster on the screen in a tangled way, and after hesitating for a long time, he still clicked on the mailbox.

As long as you can make your first feature-length film, what's wrong with losing some people?

Isn't it shameful to beg grandpa to sue grandma to find an investor, and to be a grandson in front of investors?

On the other hand, Han Yan, who graduated from Chinese opera, also saw the poster released on the Internet by the Light and Shadow Era.

Compared with Cheng Er, who was unemployed after graduation, Han Yan's development is undoubtedly much smoother.

He directed his first film "Five Good and One Good" in 2002, and then made several short films one after another, winning the Best Short Film Director Award at the College Student Film Festival.

has also worked as an executive director for other feature films, and he has a bright future.

However, after seeing the support plan for young directors in the era of light and shadow, he also has some ideas.

He recently wanted to make a film that uses nine short films with different characteristics to form a complete story, but he just found a few investors, but they were not very optimistic and were not very willing to invest money.

Even some investors are pessimistic that such a movie can't even be released in theaters.

Now that there is one more opportunity to attract investment, Han Yan must try it!

In this way, whether it is a frustrated or proud young director, or a film practitioner who wants to develop in the field of directing, after seeing the young director support plan issued by the light and shadow era, they are all ready to move.

Last year, Liu Dehua launched an Asian Rising Star Guide Program, but there is only one place in the mainland, and it is completely a matter of more monks and less porridge and not enough points.

Now that the era of light and shadow has released 5-6 support places, everyone feels in their hearts, this time it should be my turn, right?

Nearly 100 copies of the film script and the director's resume were sent to the work mailbox of the Light and Shadow Era.

The staff in charge of this mailbox hurriedly sorted out these emails and waited for the leader's review.

And the leader who should review these scripts the most, that is, Wu Yuan himself, what is he doing at the moment?

Pick-up at the airport, of course!

On March 2, 2006, Wu Yuan took Liu Yifei to Los Angeles International Airport and received the main creator of "Love" from China.

There are not many main creators who came to participate in the 78th Academy Awards with Wu Yuan this time, only You Benchang, Wu Yanshu, and Gong Li.

plus Liu Yifei and Wu Yuan, there are only five people.

After all, this time it was only shortlisted for the best foreign language film, and various technical awards were not shortlisted, so of course the main creators behind the crew were not used.

There are not many people, so it is naturally easy to arrange.

Wu Yuan regarded himself as half a landlord and invited all three leading actors back to live in his mansion in Beverly Hills.

There are also plenty of reasons, if you don't live in your own house, why waste money to live in a hotel?

And this hotel is not necessarily as comfortable as Wu Yuan's mansion.

After hearing that Liu Yifei, who arrived early, had already moved in, You Benchang and the three of them were not hypocritical, and also agreed to Wu Yuan's invitation.

The next day, a new guest came to Wu Yuan's home, and he arrived at the International Chapter in Los Angeles with the crew of "Memoirs of a Geisha".

This year has been the most energetic year for the International Chapter.

At the Golden Globe Awards, which just ended, International Zhang became the first Chinese actress to be nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards with "Memoirs of a Geisha".

Although she was not nominated for Best Actress at this year's Oscars, "Memoirs of a Geisha" was also nominated for some bordered awards.

Of course, she is also coming to participate in this Oscar.

In any case, after the Oscar red carpet, her title of "International Chapter" is completely confirmed.

However, the international chapter still knows who is the king.

After arriving in Los Angeles and learning Wu Yuan's address through Gong Li (the two collaborated in "Memoirs of a Geisha"), the international chapter came to visit him as soon as possible.

"Director Wu, congratulations!"

As soon as they met, International Zhang hugged Wu Yuan warmly, and even made a veneer salute, so that Liu Yifei, who came to greet her with her, puffed out his mouth.

"I hope that "Love" can win the Best Foreign Language Film Award at this Oscar and realize the regret of our Chinese filmmakers." She said with sincere blessings.

Wu Yuan also nodded with a smile: "Then I will borrow your auspicious words, and I also hope to get this award." ”

When "Hero" was shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, after unfortunately missing this award, domestic filmmakers and fans became a little obsessed.

Before "Hero", in fact, most fans didn't know the Oscars and didn't know about the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

But it was precisely because "Hero" frantically hyped this award at that time that this award was full of popularity in China.

As a result, Zhang Weiping hyped for a long time, but did not actually do any public relations for "Hero", and finally ended up not winning the award and returning to China in disgrace.

Now it's okay, the expectations of domestic fans have been raised to the top, but you told me that I didn't win the award?

Since then, the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film has become the obsession of many mainland filmmakers, and it has gradually become more and more famous among the people, even more well-known than the three major European ones.

It's all thanks to Zhang Weiping!

His hype has forcibly raised this award to a position that does not belong to it.

Especially later, several major directors failed to win the Olympics, which cast a veil on this award.

In fact, the Oscar for foreign language film is really just a less important award, similar to the Best Asian Film Award at the Hong Kong Island Film Awards.

In a North American regional award, is the consolation prize awarded to foreign films unforgettable?

Wu Yuan brought "Love" to the Olympics this time, and he also hoped to cut off the obsession of domestic fans with the Oscar Foreign Language Film Award!

Let the attention of this award in Huaxia return to the position where it should stay!

The previous chapter has been modified, you can refresh it and read it again.

Roughly Wu Yuan did not return to China, and stayed in the United States with Liu Yifei, waiting for the Oscars to start.

I don't know what's going on, so I wrote Wu Yuan back to China with a stroke of my brain

The Oscars haven't participated yet

(End of chapter)