Chapter 193: Venice Main Competition Section

The 61st Venice International Film Festival was held from September 1st to September 11th.

On September 8th, Cao Yang departed from Los Angeles, transferred once, and flew across more than half the globe before arriving at Venice's Marco Polo Airport.

As soon as he got off the plane, Cao Yang saw Ma Ke-Mu Le, Han Zong, and Cheng Jianye waiting for him.

Cao Yang first shook hands with Han Zong, greeted Cheng Jianye, and then hugged the enthusiastic Ma Ke-Mu Le.

"Old Ma, I haven't had the chance to congratulate you in person. Being the chairman of the Venice Film Festival is an incredible position."

After the hug, Cao Yang joked with a smile, "You are a very busy person now, yet you can still come to the airport to pick me up in person. I am truly honored."

"Sigh, ever since I became this chairman, I actually have much more free time. There's no need to handle many things personally; just grasping the general direction is enough."

Ma Ke-Mu Le waved his hand, looking indifferent, but it could be seen that he was still faintly proud.

"Cao Yang, I say you kid are not being a good friend. I became the film festival chairman, yet you dove headfirst into commercial films, which has made many old friends have opinions.

I don't oppose you making commercial films, but since I just took office, you should at least make an interesting art-house film to support me."

"I want to as well, but after careful consideration, if I were to bring an art-house film to Venice, you would have just taken office and definitely have many tricky things to handle internally. I was afraid of making things difficult for you."

Cao Yang explained with a smile.

Han Zong looked at Cao Yang, who was chatting and laughing with the Venice Film Festival chairman, and couldn't help but feel envious.

The Venice Film Festival chairman coming to pick him up in person—what kind of treatment is this? It can be seen that the relationship between the two is definitely not ordinary.

With this connection, as long as the film isn't bad in the future, Venice will be a breeze!

Subsequently, he glanced at Cheng Jianye, who was smiling nearby, and felt even more unbalanced in his heart.

This bastard kid really had dog-shit luck. In two more days, this guy will go directly to the Americans, to Hollywood, to be his executive producer.

Han Zong couldn't help but sigh again. Following the right person isn't just about saving twenty years of struggle; sometimes, even if you struggle for a lifetime, you won't reach this achievement.

Just like Cheng Jianye, as a small liaison producer at the Youth Film Studio, if he hadn't met Cao Yang, even if he worked hard for a lifetime, he wouldn't know if he could become a producer in the country.

It's highly likely he would just be a veteran production manager for his whole life.

And now? An executive producer in Hollywood with great power!

A Hollywood producer—this resume is incredibly awesome.

With this resume, even if he doesn't develop in Hollywood, he would definitely be highly sought after by large companies in the country.

Of course, as long as this kid isn't stupid, he definitely won't leave Cao Yang.

Damn lucky!

Han Zong came to Venice this time mainly for *Painted Skin*.

As a pure Chinese-language film, and also a film shot at the request of the superiors to test the market, Han Zong still attached great importance to it.

Although there is no need to test it anymore, Cao Yang's *The Mean Milk* and Zhang Yimou's *House of Flying Daggers* have successively proven that a box office of over 100 million is not a coincidence.

However, as a task film, who knows when the superiors will ask, "How is that film's box office?"

Seemingly casual questions are sometimes the boost or obstacle to your rise.

The reason for coming to participate in the Venice Film Festival this time, Han Zong actually only wanted to hold a film exhibition at first to expand the film's influence so that more box office and copyright fees could be sold. After telling Cao Yang about this at the time, Cao Yang considered it, then made a phone call to Ma Ke-Mu Le, and told Han Zong to sign up for the main competition section.

Han Zong couldn't believe what he heard.

*Painted Skin*?

This commercial film signing up for the main competition section?

What are you thinking!

The Venice Film Festival is, after all, a temple of world art cinema. A commercial film wanting to go to the main competition section?

Isn't this a joke?

Then Cao Yang asked Han Zong, don't you remember that Zhang Yimou's *Hero* also entered the Berlin Film Festival's main competition section?

It was even nominated for Best Film in the main competition section and eventually won a so-called Alfred Bauer Award.

What? His Zhang Yimou's *Hero* can be selected for the Berlin Film Festival's main competition section, so why can't my Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* be selected for the Venice Film Festival's main competition section?

If the Berlin Film Festival dares to do this, why can't the Venice Film Festival follow suit?

If a monk can touch it, why can't I?

He Zhang Yimou has deep connections in Berlin, so is my Cao Yang's connection in Venice any worse?

Han Zong could only sigh, feeling that he had re-recognized the art temple of world cinema.

As an orthodox director, as an orthodox Chinese director, as an orthodox director who has hopes and some worship for the three major European festivals, Han Zong still couldn't accept it.

!

But no matter how his inner journey changed, Han Zong still followed the phone number Cao Yang gave him and called to participate.

At that time, he both hoped the film could enter the main competition section and thought it would be best if the film was brushed off...

As a result, a month ago, Venice announced the list of films selected for the main competition section, and *Painted Skin* was prominently on the list.

At that time, many media wanted to publicize it extensively, but it was suppressed by Han Zong. He only had two words in his mind: shame and anger!

He always felt that this matter had an indescribable sense of loss, and it lasted for a considerable period of time.

At that time, when *Hero* was selected for the Berlin Film Festival's main competition section, he felt that the people in Berlin might have thought it was an epic film and regarded it as an orthodox historical film, which is why they did that.

But what about *Painted Skin*?

He tried hard to think and think, thought for many days, and finally slapped his thigh, finally finding a reason.

Perhaps the judges felt that this film is a film that uses spirits to explore human nature. People all have seven emotions and six desires, greed, hatred, ignorance...

Thinking this way, Han Zong felt it made great sense. Cao Yang is such a famous art-house film director; even if he makes a commercial film, it is impossible not to explore the inner heart of the characters and use this to criticize human nature.

After sending Cao Yang back to the hotel, Ma Ke-Mu Le said mysteriously before leaving that he would give Cao Yang a surprise.

What surprise?

Cao Yang thought about it. Perhaps Ma Ke-Mu Le will also learn from the Berlin Film Festival. Oh, actually, there is no need to learn; he already got a Venice Film Festival St. Mark's Award for Old Tian's *Spring in a Small Town* last time.

Perhaps it's the same this time?

Han Zong heard Ma Ke-Mu Le's words and his spirit lifted. After Ma Ke-Mu Le left, he asked in a low voice: "Junior brother, what does Chairman Ma Ke mean? He wouldn't want to get us a big award, would he?"

Cao Yang laughed. Since Han Zong called him junior brother, he couldn't be an outsider, and said: "What are you thinking, senior brother? This is a commercial film. Being selected for the main competition section is already an incredible achievement.

Old Ma hasn't been the film festival chairman for long; it's impossible for him to mess around. I estimate it's just getting something like the St. Mark's Award, or the Alfred Bauer Award that Berlin gave Zhang Yimou last time."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 194 =====