iQIYI Invites World-class Directors to Mentor Chinese Filmmakers

BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2016 PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI, China's largest internet and mobile video service provider, today announced a mentoring program to invite world-class directors to be mentors for Chinese filmmakers in exploring new forms of filmmaking that appeals to China's growing online viewers.

Famed American independent film director and producer Roger William Corman will be the first top director to join the program, in which he will act as the producer and lead a team of young Chinese filmmakers to work on a sci-fi internet film, Invasion.

Corman and Yang Xianghua, senior vice-president of iQIYI, jointly launched this program at a press conference in Beijing today.

"The mentoring of master filmmakers in China and elsewhere in the world will certainly propel many aspiring Chinese filmmakers to become formidable players in internet film productions," said Yang.

Corman, who is better known as "the Pope of pop film" and behind many critically acclaimed low-budget movies in the United States, is the mentor for many big names in filmmaking such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and James Cameron. He was awarded an Academy Honorary Award in 2010.

"China's internet film market has deeply impressed me with its fast growth rate and great potential. I am really glad to be part of this exciting industry and share my filmmaking experience with young professionals in China," said Corman.

In China, internet films, as opposed to theatrical films, mainly refer to those tailor made for internet or mobile viewers with a length of no fewer than 60 minutes

It began to take a foothold in the Chinese market in 2014 and has since grown rapidly thanks to the surging appetite of local viewers for different types of films and the fast rise in the number of online video subscribers.

The number of internet films is expected to quadruple from last year to about 2,500 this year, according to an estimate by Entgroup Inc, an entertainment industry research firm.

Despite the fast growth, Yang said, what this industry needs the most at this stage is more professional filmmaking teams and high-quality productions. 

"To achieve long-term prosperity, people in this industry must abide by the principles of originality, creativity and quality control while keeping vulgarity and distaste out. iQIYI hopes to to do its part and help steer the industry into a healthy development track," he said.

About iQIYI

Founded in April 2010, iQIYI has grown into China's largest Internet and mobile video service provider. An independently operated subsidiary of Baidu, the world's largest Chinese search engine, iQIYI is focused on providing Chinese users with the best possible online video experience, and has become an industry leader in developing innovative products and technologies.

For further information, please contact:

Celine Sun
Marketing Department, iQIYI
+86 135 2041 5298
[email protected]

SOURCE iQIYI