Nation's films rise as major force

During the National Day holiday in October — one of the country's most lucrative box office seasons — three films triggered unprecedented enthusiasm among moviegoers nationwide, propelling ticket sales for the week to 5.13 billion yuan, a year-on-year rise of nearly 136 percent.

The top earner among the three was My People, My Country, an anthology of seven short stories marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The other two movies were The Captains, based on the true story of a pilot who had to ensure the safety of 128 passengers and crew members when a plane's windshield became damaged during flight, and The Climbers, which centers on Chinese climbers' ascent of Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest, via the perilous north face in 1960 and 1975.

Yin Hong, deputy chairman of the China Film Association, said the success of these films marks the rise of the Chinese movie industry, especially in post-production.

Cheng, from Tencent Pictures, said: "In recent years, China has produced a string of excellent movies, ranging from Operation Mekong to Operation Red Sea and to My People, My Country. ... These movies easily strike a chord with audiences."