- Title: Chinese social media star dreams of movie roles as she struts at Cannes
- Date: 24th May 2017
- Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) SOCIAL MEDIA STAR, LILI XU, SAYING: "Now moving towards Cannes, Cannes is a huge event in my head, and is the first or second in terms of the foremost film festival. Coming here, I feel nervous, but I am also feeling lots of anticipation. I hope to display a different kind of beauty, and I hope to let everyone see me, to let everyone know that such an obscure, small person, can walk towards an international stage, that kind of thing." VARIOUS OF XU ADJUSTING MAKEUP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) SOCIAL MEDIA STAR, LILI XU, SAYING: "I want to learn more, including knowledge about film as this is a film summit, and there will be lots of internationally famous people, and renowned and remarkable actors who will gather here. I would be able to meet them in person, and be able to learn from them personally, which I normally would be unable to." VARIOUS OF DREAMAPP CEO WU YUN SONG LOOKING AT PHONE SHOWING APP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DREAMAPP CEO WU YUN SONG SAYING: "At the same time, by making sure that she will walk the red carpet in Cannes today, we hope to not only expose her to those in Chinese film circles, but also those in international film circles. I have laid out a very good road map for her future." EXTERIOR OF PARTY BY THE SEA PEOPLE GATHERED VARIOUS OF XU TAKING PHOTOS WITH MAN AT THE PARTY CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN WOMAN DIPPING MARSHMALLOW IN CHOCOLATE XU SPEAKING TO FILM PRODUCER FROM GERMANY, SIEGFRIED WESTPHAL (SOUNDBITE) (French) FILM PRODUCER FROM GERMANY, SIEGFRIED WESTPHAL, SAYING: "I believe very strongly that the future of Chinese cinematography is not only for the Chinese, but for the whole world, because we have in China a lot of resources to make extraordinary films." (SOUNDBITE) (French) INTERNATIONAL EMERGING FILM TALENT ASSOCIATION, PRESIDENT, MARCO ORSINI SAYING: "I think the answer is simple enough, because they are two different worlds. Social media and the cinema have nothing to do with each other. The cinema is an art that is the seventh art in history, and social media is something that changes very quickly and all the time, I don't really see the link between the two." PEOPLE AT PARTY CHEF CUTTING MEAT CHEFS WINES XU POSING IN GOWN PHOTOGRAPHER XU SMILING
- Embargoed: 7th June 2017 18:56
- Keywords: livestream Xu Dabao Chinese social media star Cannes film festival
- Location: CANNES, FRANCE
- City: CANNES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00C6I74HFP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With every step down the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, Chinese social media star Lili Xu reckons she is getting ever closer to her dream of a career in the movies.
In a red dress with gold stars like the flag of China, she poses for the ranks of photographers that are here to catch established Hollywood talent such as Fan Bingbing and Will Smith attending the same premier.
Xu, 29, who used to be a make-up artist for pets, hopes her large social media following will help her secure a movie role, and is in Cannes to make vital contacts.
"Cannes is a huge event in my head," Xu told Reuters while live-streaming to her fans as she did her hair and makeup ahead of the red carpet.
Xu, who also goes by her screen name Dabao (Big Toddler), stumbled into the world of live-streaming when she turned the camera onto herself to promote her pet makeup business. By allowing others to peek into her life, she made a name for herself on an app accessible to millions.
Live-streaming barely existed in China three years ago but last year it produced revenues of more than 30 billion yuan ($4.3 billion), according to an estimate by investment bank China Renaissance Securities. That is set to more than triple by 2020, putting it on track to overtake cinema box office receipts within a few years.
Xu has acted in about 10 Chinese films made for the internet, but hopes for wider recognition.
"By making sure that she will walk the red carpet in Cannes today, we hope to not only expose her to those in Chinese film circles, but also those in international film circles," said Wu Yun Song, Xu's manager and the CEO of Dreamapp which hosts her live-streaming.
Marco Orsini, head of the Monaco-based International Emerging Film Talent Association, said the jump from social media to the movies was not an obvious career path.
"The cinema is an art ... and social media is something that changes very quickly and all the time. I don't really see the link between the two," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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