New directors a hit at box office

Some of the biggest hits at the Chinese box office this year were made by first-time directors, many of whom are now gathered in Shanghai.

Many of the young directors at the forum have held other titles, from actors and screenwriters to musicians and professors. But eventually they all wanted to be the person making the big decisions.First-time directors have been perhaps the biggest stars in China's film industry in 2013. At the beginning of this year, "Lost in Thailand" directed by actor Xu Zheng took in more than 1 billion yuan at the box office in its first three weeks of release.

That was followed by a number of other hits, including "Mr. Right", "So Young" and "Christmas Rose".

But the new directors at the forum say they are more interested in turning their ideas into movies than talking about box office numbers.

Some screenwriters said they became directors so they would have more control over their own stories. They say average directors can't do justice to their ideas, and big name directors often neglect their advice. So it is easier to make their own movies.

But some industry veterans say the success of new directors indicates the Chinese film market is short of good professionals who can do well in a specific film genre.