LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Huading Awards Group announced at its Los Angeles headquarters on December 28, 2023, that Wang Haige, the current chairman, had resigned from the position due to the expiration of his term of office. This meant that the filmmaker, who was dubbed the "Huading Dream Builder," had to formally say goodbye to the Huading Awards.
According to public information, Wang Haige, a public figure without party affiliation, was born in Shanxi in August 1973, with a postgraduate education background; Wang is a senior media professional, producer, entrepreneur, social activist and master's supervisor. He served as a member of the 10th and 11th CPPCC Shanxi Provincial Committee, founder of Huading Awards and co-founder of Aollywood. He is currently the chairman of the board of directors of China Aollywood Group.
Wang Haige was chosen as the Huading Awards chairman in September 2017. He advocated the creation of a top-tier film award and implemented a significant overhaul of the Huading Awards throughout that six-year period. Hundreds of producers, directors, actors, and financiers in cinema and television have backed and supported this concept and effort.
Wang Haige modified the Huading Awards' evaluation system to determine that credibility is the awards’ foundation and that "audience popularity as the main factor and expert recognition as the supplemental factor", for the goal of making the Huading Award equal to the three major film awards in the world as soon as possible. The Huading Award's reputation is expected to increase over the following few years as a result of this new selection concept. In addition, Wang set up the global operating headquarters of the Huading Awards in Hollywood, the Asian operating headquarters in Hong Kong and the Chinese operating headquarters in Macao, respectively, further opening up the Huading Awards’ overseas promotion and export of Chinese films. The Huading Awards have deepened the mutual understanding between Eastern and Western filmmakers by continuously promoting the interaction between Eastern and Western filmmakers and holding dozens of forums in Hollywood, Hong Kong, China and Macao. Moreover, the Huading Awards have spared no expense to invite Don Michel, a famous Oscar producer, to join the Huading Awards and establish the team for building a world-class brand. Don Michel said that his participation was due to the recognition of the value and concept of the Huading Awards. "The most attractive factor of the Huading Awards is that each award is voted by the audience.” Because it is a choice of people's will, it can better represent the real will of many film fans. I have a lot of hope for the awards. The Huading Awards will undoubtedly develop into a premier entertainment awards ceremony in the future. Since then, the Huading Awards' sole tenets have been to uphold the highest production standards and to carry out the duty of promoting and distributing Chinese films.
After a round of brand upgrading, the Huading Awards team led by Wang Haige has become a first-class entertainment award team in Asia in just a few years. Every event held in Hollywood, Hong Kong, China and Macao has received the attention and coverage of many media around the world, thereby establishing a bridge for cultural exchanges between the East and the West with movies as their topics. The Huading Awards have also gradually changed from the "People's Word of Mouth Awards" to the "Global Audience Word of Mouth Awards". According to Variety magazine, the Huading Awards are equivalent to "a Chinese award that combines the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys." Natalie Portman, Hillary Swank, Mel Gibson, Scarlett Johansson, Joaquin Phoenix, Tom Hanks, Sylvester Stallone, Adrian Brody, Orlando Bloom, Halle Berry, Quentin Tarantino, Nicole Kidman, Chris Hemsworth, Nicolas Cage, Avril Lavigne, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Naomi Watts, Michael Mann, Tim Burton, Clint Eastwood and many other Hollywood stars have attended the Huading Awards.
During his tenure, Wang Haige also devoted himself to the training of young filmmakers. In early 2023, the Huading Awards introduced the "World Youth Film Short Film Competition" as a new category. Despite being a recent addition, the competition has garnered interest from young filmmakers globally, offering a professional platform for many aspiring filmmakers and college students. Its arrival has also contributed to a surge in the popularity of short films, propelling them into a "golden age".
In 2021, the World Cultural Industry Center recognized the Huading Awards as one of the "100 most influential cultural brands in the world." This prestigious list also includes three Chinese brands: the Palace Museum, Douyin, and the Huading Awards. Additionally, renowned international entertainment brands such as the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Berlin Film Festival are featured on this list.
Wang Haige is deemed a leader in the domestic and international film and television industry and a prominent figure in the international film sector for his exceptional contributions. His achievements led to titles such as "World Outstanding Chinese," "International Elite Leader," "World Peace Cultural Ambassador," "Sino-US Cultural Exchange Envoy," and "Outstanding Achievement Award." Furthermore, Wang Haige's dedication and leadership were acknowledged through awards such as "100 film workers who have made outstanding contributions to Chinese films in the past 100 years" and "100 outstanding cultural industry personages in 40 years of China's reform and opening up" by the "Jinyanghua" Award of the New Age International Film Festival. In December 2023, Wang Haige was elected president of the World Film Industry Association.
Wang Haige's significant contributions to the development of China's cultural industry have been acknowledged by the Huading Awards Group in a statement for his past efforts; starting from scratch, Wang founded the "Huading Awards" brand and established a large cultural group with film exhibition as its main industry, along with entertainment marketing, copyright trading, and cultural tourism as its industrial cluster. Since he became chairman of the Huading Awards, he has adhered to the overall leadership of the Party, the supremacy of the people, followed the socialist values in running festivals and awarding events and implemented the strategy of developing China into a cultural power, devoted himself to the pursuit and construction of "world-class film festivals and world-class film awards", thereby making more people understand Chinese culture. Wang has also made significant contributions to asserting the right of international cultural discourse and advancing the global promotion of Chinese films and their high-quality development.
Wang Haige stated after his resignation announcement that he will donate the 9.98% equity benefits he holds in the Huading Awards Group to establish a fund. The fund will be used to support and cultivate young filmmakers in the long term.
Regarding Wang Haige stepping down as the chairman of the Huading Awards, Hu Jianli, the secretary-general of the Aollywood Film Critics Association and a renowned film critic, commented: Mr. Wang Haige has a strong sense of patriotism as an outstanding media figure and entrepreneur. He has long been committed to the overseas promotion of Chinese culture and the exchange between Eastern and Western cultures. In recent years, he has personally propelled the Huading Awards onto the world stage, making it an internationally influential event. His stepping down as the chairman of the Huading Awards is both a normal personnel change at the end of his term and beneficial for the awards to diminish the personal label of the founder. I believe that the goal of the Huading Awards to "further establish itself as a top-tier authoritative cultural and entertainment awarding event globally" will remain unchanged.