On November 18, 2024, the "Bluebird" Writer-Director Takeoff Program officially opened its training camp in Hongkou, Shanghai. Attending the opening ceremony were leaders from the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, relevant officials from Hongkou District, representatives from the Shanghai Film Development Research Institute, the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, mentors, and writer participants.

Event Scene

In June, Shanghai announced the "Promotion of Urban Spirit and Building a Film City: Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Shanghai’s Film Industry," an important strategic plan aimed at fostering the thriving development of the film industry and enhancing Shanghai's cultural soft power as an international metropolis. In October, the Shanghai Film Development Research Institute was established, further promoting the overall development of Shanghai's film industry through various avenues, including theoretical research, industry consulting, talent cultivation, and international exchange. It is against this backdrop that the "Bluebird" Writer-Director Takeoff Program, guided by the Shanghai Municipal Film Bureau and co-hosted by the Shanghai Film Development Research Institute and the "Harvest" APP, emerged, transforming from a cocoon to a butterfly, and building a bridge connecting literary soil with the dream of images, becoming a new force driving the high-quality development of Shanghai's film industry.

From September 1 to October 15, the "Bluebird" Writer-Director Takeoff Program collected 172 project submissions that met the criteria, utilizing a three-round selection process with multiple judges scoring to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the assessment. Ultimately, 20 selected works covered a wide range of genres, including youth, romance, history, women, science fiction, suspense and crime, and family ethics.

Representing the selected participants of the Takeoff Program, writer Han Songluo expressed gratitude on behalf of the "Bluebird" training camp at the opening ceremony, stating, "I love writing novels and watching films, and I admire everything related to creation. I thank all the initiators of 'Bluebird' for giving me this opportunity to fully experience the process of making a film, from a few lines of text forming a concept, a synopsis, a plan, that might one day become a film. Regardless of whether we can shoot such a film in the future, this experience is invaluable and will deeply influence my writing."

Han Songluo

At the opening ceremony, actor, screenwriter, and director Qin Hailu and director, actor, singer, and producer Su Youpeng spoke as representatives of the "Bluebird" mentors. Qin Hailu expressed that since "Bluebird" brought everyone together, they would not part ways, and she would indefinitely help and support all participants. Su Youpeng mentioned, "I will do my best to share my limited experience with everyone and grow together."

Qin Hailu

Su Youpeng

During the ceremony, Liu Yina, head of the Film Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee, expressed her admiration for the participants' curriculum, noting, “It covers script writing, production, management, marketing, art design, cinematography, editing, and music, making it a complete industry-chain training program. The impressive lineup of mentors makes me want to audit the courses myself. I even volunteered to add a session on 'Government Industry Management Services' to the curriculum, hoping to help creators pave the way forward.”

Gao Yunfei, president of the Shanghai Film Development Research Institute and chairman of the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, also witnessed this important moment of the dream of light and shadow taking flight. "Today, literature and film represent two different art forms, yet they nourish and empower each other. Literature provides abundant nutrients to film, while images breathe new life into literature. Many well-known cinematic works have roots in literary classics, which encapsulates the mission and significance of 'Bluebird.' Through this program, we aim to establish an integrated talent development system that encompasses discovery, cultivation, and support. By harnessing the excellent resources and talents in the film and television cultural sector, we seek to cultivate deeper and more robust collaborations within the industry, offering a development platform for exchange and groundbreaking integration, ultimately bringing more innovative and culturally rich film and television works to Shanghai and China's film industry. I firmly believe that, with the collaborative efforts of our fellow filmmakers and writers, 'Bluebird' will surely become a driving force and a key player in building the 'City of Shanghai Films,' shining a light on Shanghai's cinematic reputation at a new era, a new starting point, and new heights."

20 Selected Camp Participants (sorted by the first letter of their surname)

Top Twenty Participants in the "Bluebird" Program

Cheng Jiaoyang, selected work “Hong Kong Express.”

Du Qiang, selected work “Waste Club.”

Han Songluo, selected work “Late Spring Love Talk.”

Jiao Yuxi, selected work “Alice in the Tube Building.”

Jin Hong, selected work “Everything Will Revive.”

Liang Yanzeng, selected work “Hero.”

Pan Haitian, selected work “The Farthest Distance Forward.”

Qian Hui, selected work “The Journey of the Ming Dynasty.”

Ren Li, selected work “Sharp Knife.”

Shui Xiaoying, selected work “A Hundred Years of Good Luck.”

Song Xun, selected work “Until the End of the World.”

Sun Rui, selected work “The Train Doesn’t Stop.”

Tang Fei, selected work “The House of Light.”

Wu Chengjie, selected work “The Last 3unshine, and Us Who Don't Shine.”

Xu Chushu, selected work “Dryness.”

Xu Ying, selected work “Night Typhoon.”

Xu Shasha, selected work “My Boyfriend Says I Have Depression.”

Yang Qian, selected work “The Villain of That Summer.”

Yu Lu, selected work “Sailor.”

Zheng Zaihuan, selected work “The Unencountered.”

Next, these writers, who have overcome an approximately 90% elimination rate, will officially enter the Takeoff Training Camp for an 11-day offline course.