On August 29, the shortlisted works for the “Migration Plan: From Literature to Film” section of the 8th Pingyao International Film Festival were announced. A total of 17 literary works created by renowned authors including Mo Yan, Gao Jianqun, Zhang Wei, Zhang Chu, Ge Liang, Suo Nancairang, Bao Zhuo, Suo Er, Sun Ping, Xie Luoyi, and Lin Ge Sheng have made the final cut.

The “Migration Plan: From Literature to Film” section is co-founded by the Pingyao International Film Festival and the China Writers Association’s “New Era Literature Climbing Plan.” Its goal is to recommend the latest literary works with potential for film adaptation to the film industry and to provide a platform for collaboration and incubation between literature and film.

Poster for “Migration Plan: From Literature to Film”

The final shortlisted works include literary masterpieces from the past three years that possess significant potential for film adaptation and have not yet undergone any development for film or television. They span various genres, including suspense, crime, science fiction, romance, and history. Among them are Mo Yan's anti-corruption long play "Crocodile," Ge Liang’s depiction of the contemporary middle-aged intellectual landscape in "Floating Tu," Zhang Chu’s portrayal of the diverse ecology of Chinese county towns in "Cloud Falling," and Bie Ming’s examination of the past and future of the Three Gorges people's lives in "Double Oars." The list also features notable genre novels, such as San San's suspenseful novella "Long River," based on well-known criminal cases, Xiao Qin's novella "Sunflowers by the Sea," which weaves together murder, online violence, illness, and love, and Ning Meng’s epic novel "Scalpel and Wild Rose," focusing on women's careers in medicine and research.

Authors of the shortlisted works and their publishing editors will be invited to attend the 8th Pingyao International Film Festival, where they will promote their works to domestic and international film rights purchasing agencies, project development organizations, production companies, distribution entities, and industry professionals, initiating copyright negotiations to establish collaborations for adaptation. The Pingyao International Film Festival will also provide dedicated negotiation spaces for these shortlisted works, allowing representatives and industry professionals to engage in one-on-one discussions.

The 17 shortlisted works were selected by nine members of the “Migration Plan” recommendation committee based on criteria such as thematic innovation, feasibility for film adaptation, and the potential to expand literary boundaries and enrich film creativity. They were carefully chosen from 85 literary works initially recommended by 34 member units of the China Writers Association's “New Era Literature Climbing Plan,” including renowned publications like "People's Literature," "Harvest," "October," and notable publishing houses such as People's Literature Publishing House, Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House, CITIC Press, and Yilin Press.

The recommendation committee members include literary critics, essayists, and vice president of the China Writers Association Li Jingze; poets, scholars, and members of the China Writers Association Presidium He Xiangyang; screenwriter, producer, and general manager of Shanghai Film Group’s “Hai Shang Ying Ye” Huang Ji; writer, screenwriter, and chairman of the Hubei Writers Association Li Xiuwen; screenwriter, director, and associate professor Liu Jiayin from the Beijing Film Academy; novelist Shuang Xuetao; filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer Xie Fei; poet, critic, and professor at Renmin University of China Yang Qingxiang; and writer, screenwriter, and director Zhu Wen. Additionally, the unit will continue to invite poet and critic Ouyang Jianghe as a program consultant.

The “Migration Plan: From Literature to Film” section was first established during the 6th Pingyao International Film Festival and has successfully helped promote 34 literary works by authors such as Wang Anyi, Liu Liangcheng, Cai Jun, Tian Er, Di An, and Guo Peiwen to the attention of the film industry. It has also facilitated copyright contracts or preliminary agreements for adaptations with several related film companies for works like "Bungee Jump," "Yan's Food Diary," and "The Fleeting Moment." The 8th Pingyao International Film Festival will be held from September 24 to 30 at the Pingyao Film Palace in the ancient city of Pingyao, Jinzhong, Shanxi.

【Shortlisted Works】