Sino Silver Screen: Beijing Cinemas Limited To Half-Capacity (Again), and First Asian Female Director Nominated for a Golden Globe

Beijing's cinemas relegated to 50 percent capacity during Spring Festival

After an unprecedented, turbulent year that seemed to be somewhat under control, folks in the film industry were banking on seeing some long-awaited titles finally hit the big screen, and just in time for the upcoming Spring Festival break, which happens to be one of the most lucrative periods for China's box office. Unfortunately, however, due to Beijing's recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, the Beijing Film Bureau released a notice on Thursday requiring all cinemas to limit their capacity during the upcoming holiday – Feb 11 to Feb 17 – to 50 percent, a veritable lighting strike that all but incinerated the hopes and dreams of industry insiders. 

Even though Beijing's Municipal Film Administration hasn’t released any official announcement regarding the directive, Beijing Commercial Daily News and the Financial Associated Press have both independently confirmed the move with local authorities. 

The news comes as a massive blow to cinemas, which now face the possibility of having to offer refunds for tickets already sold, which, by Thursday had racked up more than RMB 312 million in presales. Likewise, netizens expressed frustration at the announcement being made on such short notice, and especially during a year when most of the capital's migrant population are being discouraged from returning home to prevent any further spread of the virus. 

Chloé Zhao becomes first female Asian director to be nominated for a Golden Globe

Earlier this week Chloé Zhao – also known by her Chinese name Zhao Ting – the Chinese-American director behind Nomadland, added another history-defining accolade to her legacy when she became the first Asian woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe in the directing category, bringing her one step closer to Oscar glory. What's more, this comes on the heels of a year brimming with praise for the young auteur from just about every prestigious film event and organization including the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, the National Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the New York Film Critics Circle. 

Incidentally, two of the other nominees are women, Emerald Fennell and Regina King, marking an unprecedented record for the Golden Globes itself, which has featured female nominees in the same category a total of seven times over its 77-year history. 

Needless to say, Nomadland has truly struck a chord with audiences both in the US and abroad due to the film's touching portrayal of otherwise invisible Americans, a reflection that many people around the globe can identify with, especially after a tumultuous year that left many feeling newly vulnerable and isolated.

The final episode for long-time piracy website?

Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Shanghai Police Department announced that after three months of investigation – with the support of police departments in various other provinces – they had successfully solved a case, dubbed the "Sep 8 extraordinarily serious intellectual property violation criminal case," one of the key cases in the renowned 扫黄打非行动 “Eliminate the pornography and illegal publication action.” According to police, a breakthrough in the case came when they caught wind that the platform was collecting revenue from membership and ad sales. 14 suspects have been arrested.

The news quickly went viral on social media because one of the offenders at the center of the story was long-time video streaming platform 人人影视 YYeTss, where residents of mainland China would often watch the newest movies and TV shows with high-quality Chinese subtitles for free. Essentially, it was the Chinese version of Netflix, playing host to a range of major channels and media outlets such as HBO, Showtime, Fox, Discovery, Disney, Hulu, Youtube, and even some lesser-known content like Russian TV shows. Of course, all of the content was reproduced and streamed without the requisite permissions or licensing agreements, not to mention they hadn't acquired publication approval from the Chinese government. Needless to say, users have been lamenting the platform's fate, which inspired many to start truly learning English, rather than merely taking up the language for school or work. 

This isn't the first time YYeTss had to retool its platform in an effort to stay one step ahead of law enforcement. This time, however, it does seem to be the final blow. We have no clue about when the website will be gone for good, but currently, you can still visit it and stream the content for free.

READ: Beijing Pops: Pianist Lang Lang Welcomes Baby Boy, Reyizha Applauded for Lead Performance

Images: Erik Witsoe (via Unsplash), Indie Wire, YYeTss