The 10th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) has entered its seventh day, the Beijing Film Market Contract Signing Ceremony achieved a record contract amount, Stanley Kwan Masterclass was full of witty remarks, the Chinese Opera Film Section made its debut and various activities were under way. Let's take a look.
1. Beijing Film Market Contract Signing Ceremony: New Success
On August 28, the 10th BJIFF Beijing Contract Signing Ceremony took place at Beijing Radio & Television Station. 46 enterprises and 21 key projects were involved. 110 projects were signed and released at the Beijing Film Market, with a record total contract amount of 33.089 billion yuan, up about 7 percent year on year, hitting a new record high.
The projects signed at the Contract Signing Ceremony this year covered all parts of the film industry chain, including the companies' annual film investment and production, construction of cinema circuits, construction of film & television bases and cultural real estates, film funding and financing, and young filmmaker cultivation programs.
Du Feijin, member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Executive Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival, delivers a concluding speech
Yang Shuo, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Vice Chairman & Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival, announces the total contract amount
Wang Jiequn, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Director of the Beijing Municipal Film Administration and Vice Chairman & Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival, delivers an address
Yu Junsheng, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Vice Chairman & Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival; and Xu Tao, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Chief Editor of Beijing Radio & Television Bureau and Executive Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival attended the Contract Signing Ceremony.
2. International Academic Forum on Cinematic Arts: Cooperation and Innovation, Persistence and Innovation
On August 28, the International Academic Forum on Cinematic Arts of the Beijing International Film Festival • 27th Beijing College Student Film Festival took place at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center. Present were Li Xiaobing, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Beijing Normal University (BNU) and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival • 27th Beijing College Student Film Festival; Li Xiaoming, member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice President of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival; Huang Huilin, senior professor at BNU, President of the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture, BNU and founder of the Beijing College Student Film Festival; and Lu Chunyan, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Arts and Communication, Beijing Normal University and Executive Vice Chairman of the Beijing International Film Festival • 27th Beijing College Student Film Festival.
With the theme "Persistence and Innovation: A New Journey of Chinese Films in the New Era", the morning session invited young directors and screenwriters Bai Xue, Dong Runnian, Han Jie and Li Xiaofeng, young actor Aarif Rahman and other guests to discuss two subjects: "young creators and genre exploration" and "young creators and artistic expression", inject new passion of youth, artistic vitality and creative views for the future development of Chinese films.
3. Stanley Kwan Masterclass
On the night of August 28, "Stanley Kwan Masterclass" took place at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center. Stanley Kwan who “understands women's hearts best” from Hong Kong, China, delivered a lecture themed "Hong Kong Film: Inheritance of Tradition and Development for Surpassing" via video, communicating with actress Qi Xi, producer Xiong Ying, guest moderator Yang Yang and the audience. The masterclass put a successful end to the Masterclass of the 10th BJIFF. At the Masterclass, Kwan reviewed the creation of films such as Rouge, Center Stage and Women on the Verge, and mentioned several impressive works of young directresses such as Carnival, Oxhide, Girls Always Happy, The Crossing and The Cloud in Her Room. By the end of the activity, the Weibo account of Stanley Kwan Masterclass had registered 922,000 views.
4. Forum on New Technology Development of Special Effects Cinemas: Dialogue on Advanced Special Cinema Effects Technologies
The 10th BJIFF Science and Technology Section--Forum on New Technology Development of Special Effects Cinemas took place online on the morning of August 28. Heads of 4 IMAX cinema equipment manufacturers, as well as 3 dynamic and flying cinema equipment manufacturers were invited to explore practical needs of science museums and the special effects film market, and share research findings of new special effects cinema technologies, thereby promoting the development of the special effects film industry.
5. Chinese Opera Film Section: Event for Fans of Chinese Opera
The 10th BJIFF "Film +" presented Offline Screenings of Chinese Opera Films from August 28 to 29. During the activity, 5 Chinese opera films, including Ah! Mom, Hai Tang Hong, Thunderstorm, Li Huiniang and Zhao Jintang, were screened at China Film Cinema (Xiaoxitian Branch), with the participation of opera film experts, leaders of distributors and theatres, as well as opera film copyright owners and producers. As the new section of the BJIFF, it plays a positive role in expanding the influence of Chinese opera films.
6. Game-Based Animated Films Exhibition-"E-Sports Celebration for Filmmakers" JJ Doudizhu Championships Star Tournament: Perfect Integration of E-Sports Events and Films
"E-Sports Celebration for Filmmakers" JJ Doudizhu Championships Star Tournament, a contest during the 1st Game-Based Animated Films Exhibition of the BJIFF, took place on the afternoon of August 28. Douyu, Huya, Bilibili and Weibo registered 1.53 million views, 90,000 views, 80,000 views and 1.74 million views respectively. The exhibition can not only popularize the knowledge of e-sports, but also convey a right concept of e-sports, deepen the integration of film and e-sports, and create cultural value. On the night of August 28, the welcome ceremony and reunion ceremony took place. Renowned artists like Chen He and Lu Han, representatives of film companies and e-sports professionals appeared. The three-day exhibition was wrapped up. This is not only a perfect integration of e-sports events with films, but also a bold attempt and good beginning. It is believed that the film industry and the e-sports industry will restart under disruptive circumstances, and work together to achieve breakthrough and success.
7. 7th Class of Online BJIFF: Talking the Pictures Salutes Classics
The 10th BJIFF launched a series of "Decade Moments Cinema" franchise classes online. A total of 11 classes are presented by experts and scholars from the China Film Art Research Center and Beijing Film Academy regarding the classic films screened in the Beijing Film Panorama of the 10th BJIFF, renowned filmmakers and behind-the-scene stories.
The class today introduced Talking the Pictures. In Japanese cinemas more than a hundred years ago, audiences who wanted to understand the content of silent movies all relied on the dramatic interpretation of "Katsubenshi". When he was a child, Shuntaro Sometani dreamed of becoming a narrator or Katsubenshi, but he then grows into a "fake Katsubenshi" by accident. Shuntaro meets many misunderstandings when he mingles with thieves, a movie theater owner and a hot-blooded police officer. This is a film that vividly brings film technology and history to the screen, with many plots paying tribute to the classic black and white silent film. It is hailed as the Japanese version of Cinema Paradiso.
8. Meet-and-greet with Cast & Crew of All About ING
On August 28, All About ING, a new film in "The Power of Chinese" section of "Beijing Film Panorama" was screened at China Film Archive Art Cinema and a meet-and-greet came after the screening. As the directorial feature debut of director Huang Zi, the film depicts the stir of a family in a plain way. It won the Jury Award at the 13th FIRST International Film Festival and drew great attention from fans as one of the top 10 films with tickets sold out fastest at the 10th BJIFF.
9. TV Screenings: Brilliance with Hits
Apart from domestic hits like Operation Red Sea, Wolf Totem and The Taking of Tiger Mountain, the 10th BJIFF TV Screenings presented Italian comedy Lucia's Grace today. The film starring Italian talented actors like Alba Rohrwacher, Elio Germano won the Europa Cinemas Label in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 71st Festival de Cannes. It ingeniously integrates the Virgin Mary with environmental protection to capture the magic hour of life in absurdity and ridicule.
10. Outdoor Screenings: Films Light Up Summer Night
The Outdoor Screenings presented An Answer from Heaven, The September of Mine and Honeyland at Inside-out Cinema, Nanluo Bookstore and Maple Garden Drive-in Cinema.
Honeyland was nominated for the Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards (Oscars). Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, the film was initially planned as a short film documenting the region surrounding the river Bregalnica, but its area of focus changed when the directors met Hatidže. Filming of Honeyland lasted two or three years and hundreds of hours of footage were filmed.
11. Events & Activities: Hero Gathering Project Release Conference Held
On the afternoon of August 28, Events & Activities of the 10th BJIFF: Hero Gathering Project Release Conference took place at Hong Yan Hall, Beijing Yanqi Lake International Conference Center.