Marco Mueller is bringing back his WIP Lab initiative, this time hosting it at Shanghai Film Academy from Dec. 7-12, after a successful inaugural run that saw participating Chinese films win major international awards.
The industry showcase, designed as a closed-door screening platform for 12 work-in-progress Chinese mainland films, will invite delegations from 12 of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Locarno, San Sebastian, Rotterdam, Sundance, Tokyo and Busan, with festivals in Brazil expected to participate as well.
The inaugural lab in Macau proved highly successful, with six of the 12 participating mainland films securing spots at major festivals and Huo Meng’s “Living the Land” winning best director at the Berlinale. Fang Liang’s “Water Can Go Anywhere” is playing at the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival.
“So we thought, we have to do it again,” Mueller said. “But I really wanted a very safe container. And luckily, my university accepted to be that.” Mueller serves as the artistic director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University.
The event will operate as an “academic exchange activity within the framework of the Shanghai Film Academy,” providing an institutional framework for the screenings. The university is covering hotel costs for the 12 festival delegations and offering screening facilities that meet 4K international standards.
While the platform primarily targets works-in-progress, Mueller noted that finished films seeking industry exposure are also welcome, with those screenings open to sales agents and distributors who cover their own travel costs.
Mueller said that the December timing allows sufficient lead time for films to navigate the approval process ahead of major festival deadlines. The WIP Lab represents Mueller’s effort to continue a platform that can effectively bridge Chinese cinema with the international festival circuit while working within regulatory frameworks. Mainlined Chines films require a dragon seal of approval from the authorities before they can be shown outside the country’s borders.
The veteran’s track record includes leading creative positions at festivals in Locarno, Rome, Venice and Beijing. He was also previously among the founders of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM) that debuted in 2016.