In the world of cinema, the question of what works deserve to be discovered has never been decided by directors alone. Programmers, guided by professional judgment, sift through countless works to identify those truly worthy of the global screen, while searching across cultures for stories capable of resonating with audiences worldwide.

For this reason, a film festival is never merely a screening platform, but an ongoing mechanism for discovery. The Beijing International Film Festival’s International Lounge has steadily become a place where such discoveries take shape. Since its launch at the 14th edition, the event has continued to draw programmers from major festival networks around the world to Beijing, creating new pathways for Chinese-language cinema - not only in production, but also in entering the international festival circuit. At previous editions, a number of Chinese-language films came to the attention of overseas festivals through exchanges held here. Some projects first noticed by programmers at the event later appeared in screening sections of international festivals, while some filmmakers established long-term relationships with festival institutions, allowing their work to be viewed and discussed within a broader global context.

On-site Sessions of Lectures and Meetings with Programmers at the 2025 BJIFF International Lounge

This year, another group of prominent international programmers from different countries and regions will gather in Beijing. Festival curators and industry advocates from across the world - each deeply engaged in different fields of cinema - together shape the core perspective of this year’s event. Among them is Kristina Aschenbrennerova, who has long focused on East Asian and Southeast Asian cinema and currently serves as a programmer for the International Film Festival Rotterdam; and Nikolaj Nikitin, a veteran of the film industry with more than three decades of experience, who works as a programmer for the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and has played a key role in shaping the direction of several European festivals. Other invited guests include Bartek Pulcyn, Programming Director of the Warsaw Film Festival; Jacob Wong, a leading figure behind the industry platform of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, helping connect Asian cinema with the global market; Devin Hartley, programmer for the Ottawa International Animation Festival, one of the world’s four major animation festivals; and Stefan Ivančić, who works across multiple roles as director, producer, and programmer for the Locarno Film Festival, among others. With deep expertise and keen curatorial instinct, these programmers continue to discover new cinematic voices. Bringing their global perspective and extensive festival experience to Beijing, they will join us this April to open a far-reaching dialogue on cinema - one that begins in Beijing and speaks to the world.

The road to the world’s screens begins with dialogue. This April, come to the BJIFF International Lounge - and let the dialogue begin here.