Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is the starting point for Chinese films going global since the country's reform and opening-up. Established in August 1958, Western Film Group, also known as Xi'an Film Studio, is one of the six major film groups in China.

Among the national film production units, Xi'an Film Studio was the first to win the highest awards at international A-level film festivals. It has won more than 300 domestic and foreign awards, including Golden Palm Award, Golden Bear Award, Silver Lion Award in Cannes International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival and Venice International Film, leading the country. 

It also has the most number of film exports in the country. Some of its representative films include "Farewell My Concubine," "Old Well," "Red Sorghum," "Tuya's Marriage," "Beautiful Feet," "My 1919," and "A Chinese Odyssey" series. Moreover, a large number of top Chinese directors and movie stars have worked with Xi'an Film Studio, such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Gu Changwei, Gong Li and Chen Chong.

The Belt and Road in Film Posters

During the 7th Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF), Xi'an Film Studio is hosting several forums and events, including an exhibition titled "The Belt and Road in Film Posters." 

On display are a range of original film posters collected by the studio from all over the world in the past five years. The design, aesthetics and psychology of the posters reflect the nature of the films as well as the times in which they were released. At the same time, these posters reflect the hundred-year history of the ever-changing film industry.

The exhibition is divided into five sections: The Earliest Film Posters, European and American Film Posters, Original Drawn Posters, Hong Kong Film Posters, and Xi'an Film Studio Classic Film Posters.

The Earliest Film Posters

These film posters originated from commercial posters. There were hand-painted or lithographic-printed in the beginning. Painted in original colors, they have different sizes, from extra small to extra large. This exhibition has the smallest movie poster in the world, about 6 square cm, as well as the largest poster in the world, composed of two A0 posters.

In the early 20th century, Thomas Edison united many studios to form a film patent alliance, which established the earliest specifications and standards for film posters.

In this context, also on display is the incorrect version of the poster of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" – it shows Snow White with six dwarfs.

European and American Film Posters

It also features various styles of posters from Europe and the U.S., such as classic Hollywood, surrealism and so on. With increasing cultural exchanges, the artistic styles of film posters influenced each other, thereby enriching the artistry of film posters.

In this section, Xi'an Film Studio has created special corners for Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and the film "Singin' in the Rain."

It also exhibits the scooter that Audrey Hepburn rode with Gregory Peck in "Roman Holiday," brought all the way from Italy to Xi'an.

Also on display is the most beautiful movie poster in the world – a poster designed by German artist Heinz for the classic silent film "Metropolis."

Original Drawn Posters

As film posters were originally hand-painted – vivid with a strong sense of storytelling – many became collectible items. Appreciating a hand-painted film poster is just like appreciating a painting.

Hong Kong Film Posters

Hong Kong Film Posters have their unique regional style. Because of the limited cinema space, these posters are usually small with superimposed pictures of the featuring artists. This is specially true for martial arts films made in Hong Kong, as the well-known Shaw Brothers Pictures, Golden Harvest Pictures and the likes brought Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and other such famous names to fame.

Xi'an Film Studio Classic Film Posters

Xi'an Film Studio has a time-honored legacy and intentional reputation of winning more than 300 awards from China and abroad. It has ushered Chinese films to the world and was the cradle of the fifth generation of directors in China. Many posters created for those classic films produced by Xi'an Film Studio have been exhibited.

Car and Film Exhibition

Cars and films, two great gifts of the 19th century, have had a tremendous impact on human society. Cars change people's speed of travel, while films affect people's thoughts. When cars drive into films, they are not only props, but also vivid characters showing speed and passion, romance and elegance, technology and innovation. All sorts of classic cars exhibited at Xi'an Film Studio museum have participated in films made by the studio, such as "The Xi'an Incident."

The Cine Film Library

The Cine Film Library stores a large number of films, including clip materials, formal copies and magnetic recording, serving as a hub of storage, protection, restoration and loan. So far, the library has collected various genres of films and resources, totaling 18,356 copies, including 9,595 copies of material, 6,875 copies of remaining clips and 1,886 copies of magnetic recording.

Experiencing 'A Chinese Odyssey'

The most fun part of the exhibition is a tour to experience "A Chinese Odyssey", allowing audiences to interact with characters in the movie and go through classic scenes in the movie, such as Bak Jing-Jing's horrifying skeleton hole, almost like a mini version of Universal. A Chinese Odyssey is a two-part 1995 Hong Kong fantasy-comedy film directed by Jeffery Lau and starring Stephen Chow. The film is very loosely based on the 16th-century Wu Cheng'en novel "Journey to the West." Most of the movie scenes were shot in Xi'an Film Studio.

This exhibition is a heaven for film lovers and even for escape-room game fans (the Odyssey part). If you have plans to visit Xi'an, definitely put Xi'an Film Studio on your visit list.