Jury List and Major Events Announced at Press Conference for 12th BJIFF

July 29 14:12 2022

With the glorious imprint of becoming a “dual Olympic city” and the sincere promise of “being there of being square”, the 12th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) is soon to return, interweaving the ingenuity of cinema and the warmth of the real-life world, and exploring more miracles of film development.

The 12th BJIFF, guided by the China Film Administration, hosted by China Media Group and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, and organized by the Beijing Municipal Film Administration, the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, Beijing Radio & Television Station, the Huairou District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and Beijing Enterprises Group Company Limited, will take place in Beijing from August 13 to 20, 2022.

At a press conference held on July 28, the Organizing Committee of the 12th BJIFF announced to position the theme of this edition as “United We Advanced”, signifying that filmmakers will work together to engrave the extraordinary historic moments with a new look and new emotions.

Li Xuejian chairs the jury and 1,450 domestic and foreign films have been submitted to compete for the Tiantan Award

After twelve years of efforts, the BJIFF has grown into a pillar of strength in world cinema with its courage and determination. This year, the Tiantan Award received a total of 1,450 entries rich in subject across the global, an increase of 63% over last year, including 1,193 foreign films from 88 countries and regions. It brings together a great number of masterpieces, and the shortlisted films are: Anatolian Leopard, a Turkish/Polish/German/Danish co-production; Call Jane, an American film; Fast & Feel Love, a Thai film; Full Time, a French film; In Search of Lost Time, a Chinese film; Jai Bhim, an Indian film; Kong & Jigme, a Chinese film; Off the Stage, a Chinese film; Sardar Udham, an Indian film; Song of Spring, a Chinese film; A Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic, a Finnish film; The Exam, a German/Iraqi/Qatari co-production; The Family, a French film; The Good Boss, a Spanish film, Unrest, a Swiss film; and Utama, a Bolivian/Uruguayan/French co-production. All this will contribute to an amazing, all-inclusive audio-visual feast, building a bridge between Chinese cinema and world cinema for cooperation and exchange.

The 12th BJIFF invites a number of Chinese and foreign headliner filmmakers to sit on the jury. With the famous Chinese actor Li Xuejian as the president, the international jury of the Tiantan Award this year has six other members–Chinese director Guo Fan, British director Malcolm Clarke, Argentine director Lucrecia Martel, Italian director Michelangelo Frammartino, Chinese actress Qin Hailu, and Chinese director and actor Wu Jing. Notably, the participation of Lucrecia Martel, who presided over the international jury of the 76th Venice International Film Festival in 2019, in this year’s BJIFF also represents her debut at an Asian film festival. Michelangelo Frammartino has just been announced as the president of the jury for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award Lion of the Future section of the Venice International Film Festival. Such a star-studded jury lineup has also raised people’s expectations for the BJIFF.

Wang Lu, Director of the Film and Television Translation and Production Center of China Media Group and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 12th BJIFF

The BJIFF features nine amazing major sections, with Beijing-Hong Kong cooperation to promote the booming of Chinese cinema

The BJIFF has been galvanizing the film and TV market with outstanding works and premium activities, highlighting the charm and potential of Chinese cinema. This year, the BJIFF will host nine major sections, including the Tiantan Award, Opening Ceremony and Red Carpet, Beijing Film Panorama, Theme Forum, Beijing Film Market, Film Carnival, Beijing College Student Film Festival, Closing & Awards Ceremony, and “Film+”. It will continue to work with iQIYI to hold a two-week “Online BJIFF” event.

Nearly 100 groups of guests will appear on the star-studded red carpet and at a grand opening ceremony. On the brightly lit shore of the Yanqi Lake, attendees will have an amazing show lined up for the opening ceremony, fully demonstrating the high level of art and the depth of creativity specific to the BJIFF. Global filmmakers will pay tribute to film through brilliant programs, telling their unchanging true love for film.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. On such a special occasion, the BJIFF and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) will launch an in-depth cooperation. At the opening ceremony, the two will announce a cooperation agreement to provide more training and exchange opportunities for young filmmakers from both places. By then, filmmakers from both places will show their confidence and determination in finding win-win solutions through cooperation between Beijing and Hong Kong filmmakers, so as to boost the high-quality development of Chinese cinema.

On August 20, the results of the ten categories of the Tiantan Award will be announced at the closing ceremony of the 12th BJIFF, witnessing the highlight moments of outstanding filmmakers.

Yu Junsheng, Deputy Secretary General and Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the 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 12th BJIFF

Beijing Film Panorama brings together 100+ masterpieces and holds the first-ever “Beach Screening” at the Azure Coast in Qinhuangdao

The BJIFF invites filmgoers to a long-awaited film feast annually. This year, more than 100 outstanding Chinese and foreign films selected for the Beijing Film Panorama will be screened from August 12 through 21, 2022.

The highly anticipated films shortlisted for the Tiantan Award and entries for the Forward Future Section will be screened in the Beijing Film Panorama. Specially curated to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the “Special Exhibition: Waves of Film: New Momentums for Hong Kong Cinema” section features recent outstanding Hong Kong films and the latest restored versions of Hong Kong classics.

Watching films is a “most romantic note”. New to this year’s Beijing Film Panorama, the “Beach Screening” event will be held at the Azure Coast in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province.

Other highlights include the Cinema of Theodoros Angelopoulos, a Greek master, and the highly acclaimed Japanese animation Inu-Oh (2022); Alcarràs and Just Remembering, both winning awards at global film festivals last years; and the latest digitally restored versions of such works as the historical classics “Antoine Quintet”, The Last Waltz, and The Moon Has Risen.

This year, the Online BJIFF on the iQIYI platform will continue innovation and upgrading, so that the film dream can come true on the cloud. With nearly 100 films to be screened, the event features nine sections, namely, “Special Exhibition: Welcoming the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”, “Special Exhibition: The Cinema of the Jury President of the Tiantan Award”, “The First Perspective”, “Argentine Film Week”, and “New Wave of the Internet”.

Lin Siwei, Deputy Head of the China Film Archive and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 12th BJIFF

The Film Power Forum gives input into high-quality development, and “Workshop & Masterclass” promotes film exchanges

The BJIFF has been committed to creating a platform for filmmakers to exchange ideas and share new knowledge. Under the theme of film power development, the Theme Forum will promote the sound and high-quality development of China’s film industry. The “Film Power Forum” plays a guiding role. The opening session is themed by “A New Journey Ahead: Unremitting Pursuit of Dreams on a Journey toward a Brilliant Film Future”; the other two sessions are themed by “Exploration, Pursuit and Creation of ‘Peak’ Films” and “Innovations and Improvements in Film Criticism in the New Era” respectively. With focus on two key topics of film development: peak film creation and film review, participants will exchange views on impressive film creation and film & television review. Guests that have confirmed participation include Yu Dong, Gong Yu, Li Weiqiang, Wang Changtian, Wang Jian’er, Wang Zhonglei, Zhao Haicheng, Zhuang Yan, Rao Shuguang, Hao Rong, and Hu Zhifeng.

The 12th BJIFF will also present workshops & masterclasses by jury members Li Xuejian and Malcolm Clarke, inviting them to share practical experience and innovative views from the perspectives of creation and production, and tell about their devotion to films.

The Beijing Film Market provides industrial services, explores new talents and new works, and arouses creative vitality

As the weathervane for the film industry, the Beijing Film Market is responsible for promoting industrial services, following and exploring new and frontier trends of industrial development.

Based on the existing official website, Online BJIFF–Market will debut in Baidu’s “Xirang” Metaverse Space to build the world’s first “metaverse film palace”. The Project Pitches Section drawing wide attention registers a record number of participants. After three rounds of selection, 853 films have made their way to jury members including Derek Yee, Zhang Yuqi, Liang Lin, and Zhu Weijie. More than 300 young directors experienced at short film shooting have signed up for BJIFF TALENTS. Under the theme of “Beijing · Future”, they will create five short sci-fi films, and veteran actors like Guo Tao will be invited as artistic advisors for the first time. The “Alumni Journey” of Beijing Film Academy will invite outstanding graduates to return to the new campus of the academy in Huairou to interact with students.

The 12th BJIFF will also deliver a variety of industrial exchange activities like Opening Reception of Beijing Film Market–”Bank of Beijing Night”.

The Film Carnival builds a new film & recreation landmark, and the “Camping Club” brings young filmmakers closer to fans

The 12th BJIFF–Film Carnival will take place from August 14 to 27 on a tour accompanied by “light music, dance, flowers, moonlight, skylight, and clouds”. Under the theme of “Pursuit of Film Dreams, Look to the Future”, this year’s carnival will present 48 immersive cultural activities on five sites, and deliver the Short Video Competition, Film + Run for Fun, and Game-Based Animated Films Exhibition for the first time.

The carnival features five future themed sections–”Children”, “Dance”, “Tribute”, “Love”, and “Mind”, with activities held respectively in Deer World Theme Park, Flower Sea of the Film Town, Yangsong Town Comprehensive Cultural Center, Banying Liangtian Leisure Area and Tongniu Movie Town. The combination of tours, food and films will allow citizens to experience the charm of film culture, and demonstrate the new outcomes of “spending your weekend at the film town” and the new look of Huairou’s culture & tourism development.

Jiao Baojun, member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Huairou District Committee and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 12th BJIFF

“Film +” intended for crossover integration includes in activities like the “Weibo Movie Awards Ceremony”, “Beijing International Sports Film Week”, “Beijing Film Night” and “Love of Music” Online Film Song Concert

The 12th BJIFF–”Film +” will add more elements of crossover innovations to films to facilitate film engagement by more outsiders. The “Weibo Movie Awards Ceremony”, “Beijing International Sports Film Week”, and “Beijing Film Night” will debut to further leverage BJIFF’s influence in terms of driving film-related industries and serving citizens.

The 12th BJIFF will also deliver other crossover integration activities like the Forward Future Section, “Love of Music” Online Film Song Concert, Game-Based Animated Films Exhibition, “Magic Editing” Forum, Science and Technology Section, Beijing Ethnic Film Festival, Beijing International Dance Video Festival, Sci-fi Forum, Short Video Section, ReelFocus Program, Film + Run for Fun, “Brands Power Chinese Movies” Live Streaming for Nonprofits and E-Inno Volunteer Action.

Animated promo video frames Chinese Culture in it

Produced by the BJIFF Organizing Committee and created by CMG’s Anime Filming Studio, the animated promo video for the 12th BJIFF was also officially released. Featuring twelve zodiacal Fuwa, the video is shot in stop motion, one of the oldest and most classic animation ways. Each second is made up of 12 frames, and each frame needed to be individually orchestrated and shot by the animation designer, bringing the total to 12 in shooting. Promoting the BJIFF in the form of stop-motion animation is just a tribute to filmmakers. It is because of the filmmaker’s exquisite crafting that time slows down for an eternal art. All the characters, scenes and props in this video are miniature landscapes made by scaling down real life measurements. Among them, one old-timey courtyard is made of mixed materials, and the fabrication cycle lasted as long as 500 hours. Such an effort is just for a 30-second-length extreme presentation, which also represents the hallmark of the film.

The animated promo video demonstrates Beijing’s openness, inclusion, primitive simplicity and pursuit of innovation, empowering Beijing film culture and film market with a unique aura and charm, while making the BJIFF out of the ordinary.

Along with the animated promo video that frames Chinese culture in it, another promo video for this year’s festival is also worthy of the wait. The organizing committee invites Lu Chuan to direct the video, with Li Xuejian, Huang Xuan, Song Jia, and Qi Xi in the lead roles. The video will be launched soon, making the BJIFF China’s first festival, by the time, to create the main promo video in a mode of “big-name director + well-known actors + production to film standards”.

Xu Tao, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Chief Editor of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Executive Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 12th BJIFF

Expanding the “social circle” of the film industry and facilitating cultural exchanges

The BJIFF is a love letter to filmmakers. It has become a stage where Chinese cinema and world cinema do justice to the best ever synergy of each other as Chinese cinema is pulled into line with world cinema.

The Guest of Honor of the 12th BJIFF will be Argentina, and Mr. Powell, the Minister of Culture of Argentina, is invited to deliver a video speech at the opening ceremony. At the same time, the BJIFF continues to focus on regional cooperation in Asia Pacific and invites ASEAN countries’ film and television industries to engage deeply in the activities of the Beijing Film Market.

Every edition of the BJIFF is a milestone in the journey of film and more of a new starting line. After twelve years of efforts, the BJIFF has continuously taken a step forward in professionalization, internationalization, and marketization, becoming a film window for the world to know China.

The 12th BJIFF will, under the call of duty of the new era, energize Chinese and world cinema with Beijing’s tenacity and openness, and forge ahead into the future!

Media Contact
Company Name: BJIFF
Contact Person: Gan Gu
Email: Send Email
City: Beijing
Country: China
Website: www.bjiff.com

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