The main creators of White Snake: Afloat attend an event in Beijing hosted by the China Film Administration to promote the most anticipated films vying for the summer box-office season on July 9.

After slow start, upcoming release of big-name movies, domestic and international, injects fresh momentum into film market, Xu Fan reports.

Despite the summer heat, China's film industry is gearing up to captivate a sea of cinemagoers during this traditionally lucrative box office season.

As of Thursday, the film market had grossed more than 26.6 billion yuan ($3.67 billion) in ticket revenue since the beginning of this year. It is currently riding on momentum fueled by the summer season, which began on June 1 and will last until Aug 30, according to film information tracking platform Maoyan.

Malaysian director Sam Quah's A Place Called Silence, a suspenseful crime film about a series of murders resulting from campus bullying, is currently in the top spot on the summer box-office charts, raking in 984 million yuan.

The latest information from the China Film Distribution and Exhibition Association reveals that 85 films have been or will be released between June and August. Among them, 49 premiered in June and as of Monday, 18 more films had made their debuts.

During a recent event hosted by the administration to gather creators behind the latest big-name films, Lu Liang, deputy head of the China Film Administration, said that the summer season would be a feast of high-quality domestic films.

"This summer, filmmakers will present their latest work in theaters with the aim of resonating with audiences. While some may not yet meet the highest standards, the work reflects their sincere commitment to storytelling," Lu says.

The most anticipated films include Wuershan's fantasy film The Traveler, Chen Sicheng's espionage tale Decoded, female director Hu Mei's The Dream of the Red Chamber, and Light Chaser Animation's feature White Snake: Afloat.

As the Chinese equivalent of the mutants in Marvel's X-Men franchise, The Traveler — adapted from comic artist Mi Er's best-selling graphic novel The Outcast — depicts a group of individuals with super abilities and exceptional martial arts skills who disguise themselves as ordinary people to live in the modern world.

"The movie intertwines elements from Chinese philosophy, traditional wushu (martial arts) stunts and modern youth fashion. The comic has a large fan base in China, exemplifying the increasing appeal of domestic comics in recent years," says Wuershan.

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