The “Shandong Season” is a screening programme jointly presented by Odyssey 2024 and School of Journalism and Communication, Shandong Normal University. This selection aims to enhance a cultural ties and collaboration between Shandong province, China and the UK, through incubating and screening projects of Shandong new emerging film professionals. It not only represents overseas audience the local society and custom of Shandong in a vividly visual manner but also contributes to the interaction between British and Chinese film professionals, in terms of such as skill training, production cooperation, and experience exchanges.
Shandong is a coastal province in East China. It is studded with Yellow River and plays a crucial role in Chinese history and civilisation. It has served as a pivotal cultural and religious centre for Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism. The city of Qufu was birthplace of Confucius and therefore became the centre of Confucianism. Shandong as one of China’s major economic power houses displayed resilience in economy in 2023, boosting the nation’s overall growth. It exported 307 billion USD in this year, making itself the 4th largest exporter in China. This province had built and maintained a close cooperative relationship with the UK. Shandong government and the UK government jointly held the “Building Trust and Confidence” UK-Shandong Industry Dialogue Series in 2023. In May, 2024, the two governments co-organised the China (Shandong) - UK Business Cooperation Dialogue in in London, bringing together participants from business associations and various enterprises.
School of Journalism and Communication, Shandong Normal University
The School of Journalism and Communication is a leading professional incubator and innovation generator for film and media studies and production practice based at Shandong Normal University, a well-known university in East China. The school has fifteen media studios and labs, including Teletorium and Recording Lab, Photography Lab, Cinematography Lab, Virtual Studio Lab, Digital Audio-Video Technology Lab, 3D Printing Technology Lab, Stop-motion Animation Studio, Digital Animation Lab, Post-production Lab, and 3D and Virtual Reality Technology Lab. It also has a multimedia theatre that can accommodate 300 audiences.
By working with many media groups in and out China, this school cultivates students in the fields of film and television production, drama and scriptwriting, animation production, dubbing and broadcasting, digital media arts, and others. It also provides training and advance courses for new emerging film professionals outside the university and organises film screening activities and film festivals at various levels.
In recent years, this school has produced more than 300 feature films, short films, documentaries, and television dramas, such as Hali and Laisheng, Red Sorghum (television version), Yao-Chinese Folktales, My Fading Childhood, No.9 Sangyu Street, Dahuozhong, New Village and New Field, The Road, Yimeng Mother, Kong and Jigme, Three Wishes, The Earth Abides, and Yellow River. Many of the works received national and international awards, such as the Berlin Art Film Festival’s award for the best script, the Chinese national “Golden Rooster” award, and the Chinese national “Shennong” award.
