dGenerate Films is a new distribution company bringing the best of contemporary Chinese independent cinema to the US, through digital downloads from their informative website, DVDs and regular events. dGenerate are now hitting Beijing with a series of monthly filmmaker talks at the Apple Store in the Village, Sanlitun. The talks will feature independent Chinese filmmakers talking about their craft and how digital technology informs their work. The events are free, but please note they will be presented in Chinese only.

Dan Edwards talked to dGenerate Films founder and president Karin Chien about the Apple Store events and China’s digital filmmaking revolution.

Can you tell us a bit about dGenerate Films? How did the organization come about and what are your primary aims?
The company came out of a chance encounter one chilly night in New York with director and curator Ou Ning [author of New Sound of Beijing, a 1999 book that helped define China's emerging rock scene]. An equally chilly trip to Beijing and 100 DVD screeners later, dGenerate Films was formed by Karin Chien, Brent Hall, Kevin Lee and Suyin So.

Our primary goal is to help truly independent, uncensored films from mainland China reach audiences abroad. By returning revenue to our filmmakers and providing an audience for their work, dGenerate hopes to spur the creation of new work. dGenerate Films is also taking a more active hand in growing the independent film infrastructure in China by engaging in film financing, co-production, and education activities.

Who do you personally regard as the most interesting and important filmmakers currently working in mainland China?
Without question, the most important films made in China today are by the independent digital filmmakers, whom we like to call the "d-Generation." One interpretation of the name of our company reflects how Chinese cinema has moved beyond the “Generations” of Beijing Film Academy graduates, who for decades were virtually the only filmmakers in China. Digital technology has made filmmaking accessible and affordable to a greater number of self-taught filmmakers. These filmmakers come from a variety of backgrounds such as journalism, academia and fine arts. They are driven into filmmaking by their own convictions and creativity, whether to document a real life story ignored by mainstream media, or to experiment with new forms of artistic expression. We find their insistence on freedom of speech, information and creation inspiring not only within the context of Chinese media and society but within global culture as well.

Are the planned talks at the Apple Store in Beijing dGenerate’s first events inside China?
Yes – we often have events occurring weekly in the States, but these are our first events inside China. We are incredibly excited to be launching our presence in Beijing in partnership with Apple, given their vital contribution to independent cinema around the world and the ongoing success of their Meet the Filmmaker series in the States. The talks will be in Chinese, and they are free to the public.

What can attendees expect at the talks? Will they be focused on technology or the craft of filmmaking?
Each director will talk about their process of making independent films within China. The talks will focus on both the craft of filmmaking and on the technology, as for d-Generation filmmakers, one always informs the other.

Will the directors be screening complete films as part of the events?
Unfortunately no. Apple doesn’t have a theater in its Beijing store, and it would be a disservice to screen these films amidst holiday shopping. The filmmakers will, however, show a clip from their film at the beginning of the event.

What future events do dGenerate have planned in Beijing?
These first three talks kick off a monthly series of Meet the Filmmaker events. Each month, we will present another d-Generation filmmaker at the Apple Store. dGenerate Films is also planning a series of legal and producing workshops, independent film screenings, and industry forums in the Fall to further bridge the American and Chinese indie film communities. We believe that both sides have much to learn from each other.
 

Meet the Filmmakers presented by degenerate Films, Apple Store, The Village, Sanlitun.
Feburary 17, 7pm: Peng Tao, director of Little Moth and Floating in Memory, will screen clips from both films and discuss the process of making films with Mac products.

February 18, 7pm: Cui Zi’en, director, film scholar, screenwriter, and novelist in conversation about how he uses Adobe and Final Cut Pro to make his groundbreaking digital video features.

February 19, 7pm: Jian Yi, an independent filmmaker, visual artist and writer in conversation about filming from villages to cities with Apple products. Jian Yi was a finalist for the British Council’s 2007 International Young Film Entrepreneur of the Year award, and partnered with filmmaker Wu Wenguang to launch the China Villager Documentary Project.

More details in Chinese and English here.