This is a list of films produced in mainland China ordered by year of release in the 1980s. For an alphabetical listing of Chinese films see Category:Chinese films
| Title | Chinese Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evening Rain | 巴山夜雨 | Wu Yonggang, Wu Yigong |
Drama | Co-winner of the first Golden Rooster for best picture in 1981 | |
| Kith and Kin | 亲缘 | Teng Wenji Wu Tianming |
Li Weixin, Liu Dong |
Drama | |
| Legend of Tianyun Mountain | 天云山传奇 | Xie Jin | Drama | Co-winner of the first Golden Rooster for best picture in 1981 | |
| Romance on Lushan Mountain | 庐山恋 | Huang Zumu | Drama |
| Title | Chinese Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awakening | 苏醒 | Teng Wenji | Joan Chen, Xu Huanshan |
Romance | Also known as 'Revival' |
| A Deer of Nine Colors | 九色鹿 | Animated short | Shanghai Animation Film Studio | ||
| Drive to Win | 沙鸥 | Zhang Nuanxin | Drama | Title literally means 'sand gull' and is the name of the lead character | |
| Longing for My Native Country | 乡情 | Hu Bingliu, Wang Jin |
Huang Jinchang, Ren Yexiang |
Drama | Entered into the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival |
| Neighbors | 邻居 | Zheng Dongtian, Xu Guming |
Drama | ||
| Regret for the Past | 伤逝 | Shui Hua | Wang Xingang, Huang Zhongluo |
Drama | |
| Ren Shen Guo | 人參果 | Animation | Shanghai Animation Film Studio | ||
| The True Story of Ah Q | 阿Ｑ正传 | Fan Cen | Yan Shunkai | Drama | Entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival |
| Title | Chinese Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countering Lights | 逆光 | Ding Yinnan | Guo Kaimin, Wu Yuhua |
Romance | |
| The Deer's Bell | 鹿铃 | Wu Qiang, Tang Cheng |
Animated short | Winner of the third Golden Rooster for Best Animation in 1983. Shanghai Animation Film Studio | |
| The Herdsman | 牧马人 | Xie Jin | Zhu Shimao, Liu Qiong |
Drama | Screened at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival |
| My Memories of Old Beijing | 城南旧事 | Wu Yigong | Shen Jia, Zhang Fengyi, Zheng Zhenyao |
Drama | Winner of the third Golden Rooster for Best Director, Best Music and Best Supporting Actress in 1983 |
| Red Elephant | 红象 | Tian Zhuangzhuang, Zhang Jianya, Xie Xiaojing |
Yan Jiao, Zi Ge |
Children/Family | |
| Rickshaw Boy | 骆驼祥子 | Ling Zifeng | Siqin Gaowa, Zhang Fengyi |
Drama | Golden Rooster for Best Film in 1983 |
| Strange Friends | 陌生的朋友 | Lei Xu | Li Ling, Zhang Chao |
Entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival |
| Title | Chinese Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Candidate | 候补队员 | Wu Ziniu | Jiang Shuo, Liu Weiping |
Drama | |
| One and Eight | 一个和八个 | Zhang Junzhao | Tao Zeru, Chen Daoming, Lu Xiaoyan |
War | One of the first "Fifth Generation" films, cinematography by Zhang Yimou |
| River Without Buoys | 没有航标的河流 | Wu Tianming | Li Wei, Song Baosen, Tao Yuling |
Drama | |
| Thunderstorm | 雷雨 | Sun Daolin | Sun Daolin, Gu Yongfei |
Drama | Based on the play Thunderstorm |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Flowers | Shui Hua, Ma Bingyu |
Guo Kaimin | Drama | |
| The Border Town | Ling Zifeng | Feng Hanyuan | Drama | Golden Rooster Award for Best Director |
| September | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | ||
| Wreaths at the Foot of the Mountain | Xie Jin | War | ||
| Yellow Earth | Chen Kaige | Wang Xueqi | Drama | Chen Kaige's directorial debut |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army Nurse | Hu Mei, Li Xiaojun |
Romance | ||
| The Black Cannon Incident | Huang Jianxin | Black comedy | Screened at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival | |
| Dove Tree | Wu Ziniu | War | First Fifth Generation film to be banned | |
| Liangjia funu | Huang Jianzhong | Drama | ||
| Monkey King Conquers the Demon | ||||
| Mountain's Daughter | Chen Shengli | Ge You | Drama | |
| On the Hunting Ground | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | ||
| Sacrifice of Youth | Zhang Nuanxin | Li Fengxu | Drama | |
| Stories of the Voyage | Liu Miaomiao | Drama |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Big Parade | Chen Kaige | Wang Xueqi | Drama | |
| Dislocation | Huang Jianxin | Liu Zifeng | Comedy/Science fiction | |
| A Girl from Hunan | Xie Fei | Naren Hua | Drama | Screened at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival |
| A Great Wall | Peter Wang | |||
| Hibiscus Town | Xie Jin | Liu Xiaoqing, Jiang Wen |
Drama | |
| The Horse Thief | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | Named by Martin Scorsese as his favorite film of the 1980s | |
| The Last Day of Winter | Wu Ziniu | |||
| Old Well | Wu Tianming | Zhang Yimou | Drama | |
| Trapped in a Frozen River | Zhang Jianya | Drama/Thriller | Also known as Ice River | |
| The Tribulations of an Old Master | Wu Yigong, Zhang Jianya |
Rosalind Chao, Chen Peisi |
Drama |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Visits the Living | Huang Jianzhong | Drama | ||
| Desperation | Zhou Xiaowen, Shi Chengfeng |
Thriller | Also known as The Last Frenzy | |
| Far From War | Hu Mei | |||
| In Their Prime | Zhou Xiaowen, Guo Fangfang |
Drama | ||
| King of the Children | Chen Kaige | Chen Shaohua | Drama | Entered into the 1988 Cannes Film Festival |
| Red Sorghum | Zhang Yimou | Gong Li | Drama/War | Early Zhang Yimou effort, Golden Bear winner at Berlin |
| Street Players | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | Also known as Drum Singers | |
| Sun Yatsen | Ding Yinnan | Biographical | ||
| Women on the Long March | Liu Miaomiao | War |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Life and Death | Wu Ziniu | Drama | ||
| The Boxer | Liu Miaomiao | Liu Shangxian | Drama | |
| Evening Bell | Wu Ziniu | Chong Peipei, Tao Zeru, Ge Yaming |
War | Silver Bear-Jury Grand Prix winner at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival |
| Feeling from Mountain and Water | Te Wei | Animated short | ||
| The Filmmakers | Ding Yinnan | Siqin Gaowa | Drama | |
| Joyous Heroes | Wu Ziniu | Drama | ||
| Kidnapping Karajan | Zhang Jianya | Comedy | ||
| King of Chess | Teng Wenji | Drama | ||
| Mutiny | He Qun | War | ||
| Obsession | Zhou Xiaowen | Drama | Also known as The Price of Frenzy | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Kids | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | Also known as Rock Kids | |
| Samsara | Huang Jianxin | Jia Hongsheng | ||
| Savage Land | Ling Zifeng | Liu Xiaoqing | Drama | |
| The Troubleshooters | Mi Jiashan | Zhang Guoli, Ge You |
Comedy | |
| We Are the World | He Ping | Drama | ||
| Widow Village | Wang Jin | Hao Jialing, Tao Zeru |
Drama | Also known as The Village of Widows |
| A Woman For Two | Ling Zifeng | Liu Xiaoqing | Drama |
| Title | Director | Actors | Genre | Notability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballad of the Yellow River | Teng Wenji | Ge You | Drama | |
| Codename Cougar | Zhang Yimou, Yang Fengliang |
Gong Li, Ge You | Action/Thriller | |
| Kawashima Yoshiko | He Ping | Biographical | ||
| The Shining Arc | Zhang Junzhao | Entered into the 16th Moscow International Film Festival | ||
| Unforgettable Life | Tian Zhuangzhuang | Drama | Also known as Special Operating Room and Illegal Lives | |
| Westbound Convict Train | He Qun | Action/Thriller |
| Year | Total Films[1] |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 83 |
| 1981 | 105 |
| 1982 | 114 |
| 1983 | 127 |
| 1984 | 143 |
| 1985 | 127 |
| 1986 | 125 |
| 1987 | 146 |
| 1988 | 158 |
| 1989 | 136 |
