August First Film Studio, or Bayi Film Studio (Chinese: 八一电影制片厂; pinyin: Bāyī diànyǐng zhì piàn chǎng), is the only military film studio in China. Founded on August 1, 1952, it is a comprehensive film studio with the production capacity of feature films, battlefield documentaries, military education films, news documentaries, national defense scientific research films, TV dramas and other films. The unit's main business area is located in Fengtai District, Beijing, and consists of Wang Zuo Film and Television Base and Hubei Film and Television Base.^[1]

History

In March 1951, with the approval of the Culture and Education Commission and the Central Military Commission of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, the Military Education Film Studio of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission was launched to provide the People's Liberation Army with its own documentary film production facilities following the best practices in the world.

On August 1, 1952, PLA Day, the studio was officially opened and named the People's Liberation Army Film Studio (Chinese: 解放军电影制片厂) in honour of the PLA's silver jubilee. In the early days of the studio, it mainly produced military educational films and news documentaries. In 1955, the studio was granted funding to produce feature films on its own, breaking a brief monopoly by the China Film Group Corporation. From then on, PLA Film and CFGC carried a duopoly in the Chinese film industry until the 1990s.

In 1956, it was rebranded as August First (Bayi) Film Studio.

The August First Film Studio produced two military pedagogical films which were widely shown throughout the Cultural Revolution decade, Landmine Warfare and Tunnel Warfare.^[2]: 167 Set during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Landmine Warfare depicts villagers who become guerillas bury homemade mines to oppose Japanese invaders.^[2]: 167 Tunnel Warfare depicts villagers who become guerillas and build a network of tunnels in which invading enemy troops ultimately become trapped.^[2]: 167 Tunnel Warfare highlighted the principles discussed in Mao's pamphlet On Protracted War and also taught viewers how to build underground bunkers.^[2]: 167 Tunnel Warfare was viewed approximately 1.8 billion times.^[2]: 167

Bayi Film Studio adheres to the direction of serving the people and serving socialism, and implements the policy of "letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend", reflecting the struggle and life of the PLA through its history and on the military history of the Chinese nation at large over the centuries, and shaping the screen image of outstanding servicemen and women, to educate the PLA in general on socialism, patriotism, collectivism and revolutionary heroism, and to promote the revolutionization, modernization and regularization of the forces to all Chinese and viewers globally.

As of 2014, more than 2,200 films (series) of various kinds have been produced. Among them were:

• 236 feature films (including stage art films)
• 571 military educational films and national defense scientific research films (series)
• 1049 documentaries (series)
• 6 art films.
• 9 high-definition digital movies
• 81 TV dramas
• 70 TV feature films
• 79 dubbed films

Among them, 78 won the Excellent Film Award of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China, 30 won the Literary and Art Award of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, 12 won the Excellent Film Award of the General Political Department, and 11 won the Excellent Film Award of the General Staff and the General Political Department. Military Education Film Award, 33 films won the Excellent Film Award of the General Staff Department, 10 films won the "Popular Film" Hundred Flowers Award, 19 films won the Golden Rooster Award for Chinese Films, 3 films won the Golden Bridge Award for Chinese Documentary Series, and 1 film won the National Youth and Children's Literature and Art Works Creation Award; 3 people won the "Popular Film" Hundred Flowers Award for individual awards, and 44 people won the Chinese Film Golden Rooster Awards for individual awards. In addition, 13 films and 11 people have won awards internationally.

In April 1982, the monthly magazine "August 1st Film" was first published, which is a comprehensive film publication focusing on film literature.

In January 1995, it was renamed "Chinese and Foreign Military Film and Television - August 1st Studio". In 2018, according to the decision of the Central Military Commission, it was renamed anew as the Film and Television Production Department of the PLA Cultural and Art Center of the Political Work Department, keeping the Bayi Studio as its primary brand for its productions.^[1]

"Youth" directed by Feng Xiaogang was released at the end of 2017.

Organization

• Department of Feature Film Production (Chinese: 故事片部)
• Department of Military Education (Chinese: 军教影片部)
• Department of Television Production (Chinese: 电视部)
• Department of Film and TV Technology (Chinese: 技术部)
• Audiovisual and 3D Department (Chinese: 三环音像部)
• Videos City (Chinese: 影视基地)

The main operating area of the Bayi Film Studio of the Chinese People's Liberation Army is located in Fengtai District, Beijing, and it consists of two studios, Wangzuo Film and Television Studio Complex and Hubei Film and Television Studios, which are operated by the studios.

The film and television production teams of Bayi Film Studio includes script creation, pre-shooting, post-production, technical support, publicity and distribution and other departments. Professional positions offered included film restoration, color matching, pyrotechnics, scenery setting, costumes, photography maintenance and lighting.^[1]

List of heads