by Julia Pierrepont III
PASADENA, United States, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- At the 19th Chinese American Film and Television Festival's summit held this week, officials and entertainment celebrities met to discuss and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges to celebrate the diverse cultures of both nations and bring the United States and China closer again.
In an increasingly interconnected yet divided world, "fostering cultural exchanges between our two nations is more important than ever," said panelist Stu Levy, former chairman of the Producer's Guild of America's International Committee.
Bringing the two countries closer again by using films, television and animation is a natural way to start "because if we tell stories together, then we can help bring the cultures together," said Levy.
Panelists met Thursday at the USC Asian Pacific Museum in Pasadena and felt that Americans could gain insights into Chinese traditions, values, and lifestyles, while the Chinese could develop a deeper appreciation for American culture and society.
This enhanced mutual understanding could dispel stereotypes, reduce biases, encourage empathy, and ultimately foster a greater sense of interconnectedness between the two nations, they said.
Panelists also felt that cultural exchanges offer a platform for individuals and companies from both countries to engage in direct, meaningful interactions, which could break down barriers and overcome misconceptions and stereotypes that could overshadow the true essence of each culture or its people.
Collaboration and engagement in cultural exchanges in the form of film festivals, art exhibits, cultural performances, science exchanges, educational programs, sporting events, and more, have the potential to yield numerous benefits.
"We can promote greater understanding through cultural exchanges like our festival," said James Su, chairman of the Chinese-American Film & TV Festival and CEO of EDI Media.
"Filmmaking is such a collaborative art form that brings together people from all countries and walks of life. That makes it easier to understand and respect each other's culture, values, and histories," said James Chiao, composer and executive film producer.
Zhang Linshu, founder and president of M Star International Culture Media Co., who makes popular, family-oriented programming in China and has planned to copy her success in Los Angeles, believes two of the most powerful common denominators that both cultures share are family and love.
"We all believe in family. We all believe in love," she said.
Cross-cultural exchanges can lead to collaborative efforts in cultural preservation, museum exchanges, and the sharing of historical artifacts, all of which contribute to the preservation of global cultural diversity.
"We don't show many Chinese films in this country," said Andrew Bishop, film producer and founder of Brave Road, adding that there needs to be a massive shift on that if the two countries are going to understand each other.
Bishop, like many of the panelists, felt that collaborative productions, storytelling, and mutually respectful cultural exchanges between these two global giants could help create a more peaceful world.
"... nothing changes the world more and brings people together better than good storytelling," he said.
His sentiments were echoed by panelist Yang Xiaopei, the young, female co-founder of Shanghai Xixi Film and Television Culture Media Ltd.
"We have so many stories and so much beauty in our Chinese culture that we want to share with the world," she said.
"I really believe that the more we talk to one another and the more we do things together, the closer we will become, and the more peaceful and prosperous the whole world will be," said Bob Underwood, screenwriter and representative for the Writer's Guild of America's Foreign Task Force Committee.
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