Author:Arclight Films, Shanghai Film Group Corporation, Shanghai University
Country: The United States, China
Author bio:
Award Application:
Best Innovation Award
Title:The Third Pole: Kingdom of Plants – Innovative Dissemination of China’s Ecological Visuals in the Context of Global Communication Capacity Building
Introduction:
The three-episode scientific exploration documentary The Third Pole: Kingdom of Plants and its companion theatrical film Seeds of the Himalayas mark China’s first comprehensive documentary visuals showcasing the unique and rare wild plant resources of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
This project focuses on the ecology of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, applying exquisite audiovisual language to create a dual-content system for both television and film. It has established cooperation with U.S.-based Arclight Films, reaching Western audiences through exposure on international mainstream television networks, in cinemas, and at film festivals/competitions, thereby solidifying China’s leading position in “Himalayan culture” within the field of ecological images. Meanwhile, multilingual books and short videos are linked with the core film and television content, while interactive communication with Western intellectual elites through academic exchanges has forged an international communication matrix in the digital media era, enabling the expansion of its functions and the release of its value in international dissemination.
Communication Effect and Social Influence:
Participating in Domestic and International Film Festivals
Festival/Competition Participation: Shortlisted for the Singapore Chinese Film Festival, the “Focus on China” section of the Venice International Film Festival, the China Documentary Academy Awards, and the Golden Kapok Awards at the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival.
Promotion: Promoted at the Cannes Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) from 2019 to 2024.
Broadcast Platforms: CCTV Documentary Channel, CGTN Documentary, Phoenix TV (Chinese, Europe, America, and Hong Kong channels), and Shanghai Documentary & Humanities Channel.
The Third Pole: Kingdom of Plants – Innovative Dissemination of China’s Ecological Visuals in the Context of Global Communication Capacity Building
2025-05-10 12:54:40
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About Innovation:
1.Film-TV Synergy: Tailoring differentiated content for television and film based on their distinct media attributes
Building on the overseas broadcast of the three-part documentary The Third Pole: Kingdom of Plants (translated into five languages), the team revisited Xizang, Qinghai, and Yunnan to produce the theatrical film Seeds of the Himalayas using cinematic storytelling techniques. The TV series has been distributed to international mainstream television and video platforms, while the film is slated for global theatrical release.
2.Cross-Media Integration: Combining film, television, and short videos to achieve in-depth integration of traditional and new media
Footage from the films and documentaries is re-edited into short videos for distribution on major international platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, fostering interactive engagement from international influencers in the field.
3.Offline communication channels: Accessing prestigious universities in Europe and America to host exhibitions and lectures for western intellectual elites
Leveraging the academic credentials of the production unit and its core creators, the documentary has been introduced to universities in Europe and America through academic exchanges, featuring exhibitions of Xizang’s ecological photography and lectures on China’s ecological imagery. Relevant scholarly papers, framed within internationally recognized discourse systems such as political ecology and visual ethnography, have been published in international English-language journals.
4. Leveraging key moments, integrating communication matrix, and enhancing high-frequency participation in international film festivals
The documentary film will participate in various international documentary festivals, competitions, and exhibitions in 2025, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Xizang Autonomous Region. It will integrate the aforementioned communication channels to implement a comprehensive multidimensional communication strategy.