this japanese producer ichiyama is a major reason for its success. his credits include work by a well-known japanese director, takano. in 1998, jia was seeking support outside china. his first film addressed china's growing economic inequality, but the government banned domestic screenings. meanwhile, ichiyama was looking for young asian directors to work with. >> translator: since the beginning, his work has been totally unique. i was surprised when i saw it for the first time. he has a cinematic language that's all his own. >> reporter: ichiyama has produced six of jia's movies. one of them, "the world," is about the harsh life of workers at a theme park. it was nominated for the top award at the 2004 venice film festival. jia's films have won prizes at major festivals. >> translator: he's given me all kinds of invaluable support and advice. he's irreplaceable. above all, he's extremely talented and a great director. >> thank you. >> reporter: in 2010, ichiyama helped create a program that takes place during film-x. it's designed to help young dire