The women's film forum was carried out in Sanya, Hainan province on Dec 8 as part of the 3rd Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF).
Compared with the domestic mainstream film market, women's movies are still considered niche. "What kind of films and television dramas are shot is decided by investors and producers," said A Mei, screenwriter of films Under the Hawthorn Tree and So Long, My Son.
"There have always been women's films, but most of them are low to mid-budget literary films," said the film producer Liang Jing. "The limitations of the creative space also make it difficult to achieve diversified development of female-themed films."
According to Chinese film director Gao Qunshu, part of the reasons why women's films haven't been as successful is "because they are not well shot."
However, these difficulties do not hinder the growth of female filmmakers, and there will be more female films and TV works to meet the public in the future.
"I've seen more and more female creators in the film and television industry in the last few years, and I am also working on a project that tells the story of women coming of age," said Chinese female director Yao Tingting.
According to Liang, her company has three or four female-themed films that are expected to start filming next year.
Gao openly expressed his love for excellent women's films. "We should let more people learn about the true emotions and strength of women through film."
