Asian cinema is known for its unique cultural elements and diverse storylines. The continent's film industry has been a promising one and now, it's going global. The past few years have seen robust cooperation and exchanges between filmmakers in China and other Asian countries. Here's a look at how those cross-border efforts are bearing fruit.

"The Jewel Thief," "Like Stars on Earth," and "The Zookeeper" – Indian filmmakers and their Chinese counterparts are busy producing these new movies together. The creations are expected to roll out to audiences soon in cinemas across Asia.

When it comes to Indian movies, "Bollywood" is the best-known watchword. Released in May 1913, "King Harish Chandra" was India's first feature film. The movie is often seen as the beginning of the country's Bollywood film legacy. Over a hundred years later, Bollywood has become the second largest player in world cinema, second only to the United States.

In West Asia, Iran has captured the world's attention with its impressive realist films. Director Majid Makidi's masterpiece "Little Shoes" became the first Iranian film to be nominated for "best foreign language film" at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999. Since then, Iranian directors even took the Oscar home twice, for "The Salesman" and "A Separation," both by Asghar Farhadi. With a documentary style and storytelling narration, these works demonstrate the common desire of human beings for a happy, peaceful and beautiful life.

"Iran has a very rich culture and literature. Historically, there have been many great poets born in Iran. All these have greatly influenced Iranian traditions. And movies are definitely part of this culture. Iranian films are also opening up, including one of the new movies that I am directing now, on Indian subjects," said Majid Makidi, Iranian film director.

Thai action movie "Genius Gunners" impressed Chinese viewers after its release in the Chinese mainland, harvesting a box office of 270 million yuan, or about 39 million U.S. dollars. What helped the film resonate with audiences was its the discussion of issues like problematic education systems and the gap between rich and poor.

Since the dawn of the new millennium, the development of film in Asia has been fast-paced. In 2018, the box office of China, South Korea, Japan, and India reached a combined 15 billion U.S. dollars, far exceeding the North American film market. In China, the number of movie screens has already topped 60,000. The scale of co-production has expanded, forming a full-industry chain of cooperation for actors, scripts, and promotion.

"All of these show an upward trend in the economic development of an open country. It's like an engine of the world, and it's also an indication of cultural confidence. We combine our own traditional culture with modern technology. I think this unique trend of further cooperation between Asian countries may be more likely affecting other countries in the world," said Zhou Xing, director of Beijing Normal University's Asia & HK Film Research Center.

Motion pictures have the power to bring people together. And with distinct cultures from across Asia coming together to shape civilizations based on shared values, the silver screen will continue to have a role to play.