Shandong’s rising status as a major player in the global film and television industry took centre stage at an event at the Cordis Hotel in Auckland last week, showcasing the impressive opportunities and advanced facilities of what is becoming known as “Hollywood in the East.”
The Shandong Provincial Radio and Television Bureau gave a presentation to members of New Zealand’s film industry, highlighting China’s rapidly expanding film and television sector and the wealth of production opportunities in Shandong Province.
A significant catalyst for this growth is the A$8 billion China Movie Metropolis (CMM) in Qingdao, Shandong, which opened in 2018 and has since transformed the province into a thriving hub for film and TV production. Shandong is now home to over 2,500 film and television production companies and more than 140 broadcasters.
The province has produced some of China’s most popular and award-winning TV dramas, such as Ordinary Happiness, Always On The Move, and Imperfect Victim. Documentaries like Chasing Tuna in the Ocean and Life at the Yellow River Delta, co-produced with National Geographic, have also earned international acclaim.
Li Jianhua, director of the Shandong Provincial Radio and Television Bureau, emphasized the role of film as a “bridge and bond” for cultural exchange. “Expanding international perspectives and deepening cooperation with countries around the world have become an inevitable trend in film and television creation,” Li said. She noted that Shandong’s cultural sector has flourished in recent years, rapidly advancing the film and television industry and establishing the province as a cinematic treasure trove.
The CMM film production hub has already contributed to major successes, including director Frant Gwo’s sci-fi blockbuster The Wandering Earth and its sequel, which grossed an impressive $1 billion and $900 million, respectively, at the box office. As the world’s largest film market, China boasts an annual box office of around A$12 billion, with more than 80% of tickets sold for Chinese-made films.
CMM’s 170-hectare facility offers 40 state-of-the-art studio stages, two permanent underwater stages with Asia’s largest exterior tank and bluescreen, and a 20,000-square-meter post-production center. Qingdao also houses the 5G High-Tech Video Experimental Park, a cutting-edge hub for the 5G video industry.
Shandong offers filmmakers a diverse range of locations, from historic buildings and bustling modern cities to breathtaking coastal and mountain landscapes. Chinese director Jun Zhu praised the facilities at CMM, where she filmed the historical re-enactments for her documentary Spring and Autumn. Zhu is currently in pre-production on a documentary about Rick Pisaturo, an Italian ex-POW who became one of Australia’s most successful beef pioneers.
Auckland was the first stop of an Australasian tour to meet with government and industry representatives. During the event, Li Jianhua spoke about the potential for collaboration between New Zealand and Shandong in producing TV dramas, films, online series, and documentaries.
She invited New Zealand film companies to explore the opportunities in Shandong, stating, “This is also an opportunity for Shandong to connect more deeply with the international market, helping more of our films to reach global audiences and telling the stories of China and Shandong to the world. We warmly invite New Zealand film companies to visit Shandong for filming, production, and investment, and to share the countless opportunities available.”
