China Meets Hollywood via Producer Bohan Gong
Being a film producer is all about problem solving. There’s a certain amount of inherent predisposition to embracing conflict, adversity, and perseverance found in a producer that the average person does not possess. Quite often these professionals are asked to manifest greatness in spite of what seems to be a highly improbable set of circumstances. If you’re a company like Youmingxi Culture Media Beijing, you recognize these qualities in a leader like Bohan Gong and use them to your benefit. Gong is the Chinese producer credited for leading enormous hit films like So Young (and it’s popular sequel) and influencing the filmmaking culture of the Chinese film industry, particularly in terms of connecting with the youth demographic (one of the most vital of all audiences). Bohan’s work with Youmingxi Culture Media Beijing on successful film’s such as Los Angeles Kidnapping and Hot Blooded Youth have elevated this company to a position of prestige and success, recognized as a leader in China’s Entertainment Industry.
Los Angeles Kidnapping is a thrilling action drama which blends Chinese film and a SoCal location amidst high rises. While it has received awards from the London Independent Film Awards (Best Foreign Feature), the Los Angeles Film Awards, and numerous others (with multiple awards for Bohan Gong), perhaps most intriguing is the way in which it has been most viewed. Beijing based iQiyi (essentially the Chinese version of Netflix) released this film via their on-demand online platform. With over 500 million monthly active users, Los Angeles Kidnapping quickly received millions of views (two million in the first week alone) and confirmed the validity of this business model for successful films in the Chinese market. When the biggest Chinese TV Channel [China Central TV Channel] bought Los Angeles Kidnapping’s TV Channel play copyright, this path strengthened the argument for creating film not solely for the theater. Additionally, the film has received many nominations and thirteen awards at film festivals across the planet.
Capitalizing on the success of Los Angeles Kidnapping, Youmingxi Culture Media Beijing hired Bohan to produce their follow-up feature film Hot-Blooded Youth. This tale of college students who battle secretly with their Kung Fu skills provides plenty of action to spark interest and also enough artistic skill to earn a best feature film nomination from the Los Angeles Film Awards. Release on the Youku streaming platform (the Chinese version of Hulu), it quickly became a certified success and solidified Youmingxi Culture Media Beijing’s acclaim as a hit factory. President and CEO of Youmingxi Culture Media Beijing Chaoran Yu confirms, “Los Angeles Kidnapping and Hot-Blooded Youth were both big steps forward for us. The success of this is rooted in Bohan Gong. His talent is undeniable. Our reputation as a major player can be traced back to his work on these films which proved that we are not only creating great films but pioneering ways to market and deliver them to the public.”
It’s perhaps expected that when someone like Bohan achieves the status that he has in the film industry, he would be called upon to serve as a part of certain industry events. For the past two years he has assumed the role of program manager and leader of the jury team at the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival. Using the same skill set that he has contributed to so many award-winning films as producer, Bohan has become an integral part of this festival; using personal contacts to procure judges and sponsors while overseeing marketing and distribution of the films (as well as judging). Films from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, and China have been a part of this festival and have gone on to be featured at the Cannes Film Festival, the Moscow International Film Festival, and others. Covered by media outlets across the planet, the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival helps to further the art of filmmakers across the world to amplify their voice and propel the art-form. Equal to the high-profile movies he produces, Bohan Gong’s involvement in this film festival is evidence that he is deeply committed to the art of filmmaking.
