China Movie Channel brought together filmmakers on Dec. 25 in Beijing, aiming to stimulate the film market with an exciting lineup of upcoming blockbusters for New Year's Day 2025.

A Peking opera performance, marking China's first film "The Battle of Dingjunshan," is presented at the film promotion event at Daguanlou Cinema, Beijing, Dec. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Movie Channel]

The promotional event was held at Daguanlou Cinema in Beijing, the oldest cinema in China and renowned as the "Birthplace of Chinese Cinema," where China's first domestically made film "The Battle of Dingjunshan" premiered in 1905. As Chinese cinema approaches its 120th anniversary next year, filmmakers sought to boost the industry, going on stage to promote several anticipated new films.

As of the day of the event, the 2024 Chinese year-end and 2025 New Year film season had achieved more than 2.2 billion yuan ($301.41 million) in box office revenue, with a diverse range of over 60 films being released during the period, presenting a cinematic feast for Chinese audiences.

Leading the race is Shao Yihui's widely praised "Her Story," which has grossed more than 700 million yuan in the Chinese film market. The director thanked the audience for their support and expressed her hope that they would encounter good things in life, such as "sincere emotions, passionate dreams, and the charm of the light and shadows of the cinema."

Zhang Miao, executive producer of "I Am What I Am 2," took to the stage to reintroduce the animated film. The critically acclaimed movie, now showing in theaters and having grossed over 60 million yuan, combines an inspiring story of youth with modern kickboxing, kung fu and traditional Chinese culture. It is presented in a rare realistic animation style, offering a fresh experience to the audience. "We will keep pushing forward with innovations in Chinese animation," he said.

The lineup for the next two weeks includes "The Prosecutor," "Octopus with Broken Arms," "Big World," "Out of Order," "Paddington in Peru," "Honey Money Phony" and "Hot Pot Artist."

"The Prosecutor," directed by and starring kung fu star Donnie Yen, has already shown its power. It has started limited advance screenings and so far grossed 160 million yuan ahead of its nationwide release on Dec. 27. Producer Raymond Wong said the law-and-order genre is fresh for both him and Yen, and they have tried to innovate the genre by adding plenty of impressive action elements.

"Octopus with Broken Arms," the third installment in the "Manslaughter" film franchise, presents an original story filled with suspense. Its two predecessors each grossed more than 1 billion yuan and dominated the year-end and New Year seasons in 2019 and 2021. Lead actor Xiao Yang, who plays a father in search of his kidnapped daughter, hopes the film can raise awareness about child trafficking.

Filmmakers pose for a group photo at the film promotion event at Daguanlou Cinema, Beijing, Dec. 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Movie Channel]

Another phenomenal movie that has already broken the 100-million-yuan mark in box office presales is "Big World," starring Jackson Yee. It tells the touching story of a boy with cerebral palsy overcoming physical and mental constraints. Director Yang Lina said, "There are tens of millions of disabled individuals in our country. As a filmmaker, I hope to use the power of cinema to help more people understand and see them as equals."

The other films on the list are comedies, which aim to bring more laughter to cinemas during the holiday period. "Paddington in Peru" stands out as an imported foreign film and a new installment from a globally popular franchise, offering quality family entertainment for both parents and children.

China Movie Channel also announced at Wednesday's event that it will undergo a comprehensive upgrade in 2025 and bring more high-quality content and films to audiences via its networks through five major new program plans. Later that day, as International Cinema Day approaches on Dec. 28, the channel organized "Cinema Audience Day" themed activities, inviting more than 1,000 movie fans to screenings of films from the season and to meet and interact with the filmmakers in person.