On August 4, 2021, the official Weibo of the Beijing International Film Festival issued a statement:
The 11th Beijing Film Festival was postponed.
For ill-fated Chinese films, this is really not good news.
But the more difficult the years, the more filmmakers need to work together, and they need the encouragement and support of fans to survive this darkness together.
Two days later, on August 6th, Gong Li left a message to all filmmakers: The success of the North Film Festival is our responsibility and obligation.
Jia Zhangke once said: "For a person, film festivals are not only to watch some good movies, but also to let people see a broader stage." ”
Finally, after a postponement of more than a month, the Beijing International Film Festival opened smoothly on September 21.
From the beginning of the ticketing, the fans who have been holding back for a long time pushed this year's North Film Festival to a climax for the first time:
"Mulholland Road 4K" sold out in 9 seconds, "Imatoshi: Dream Machine" and "Delusional Agent" took 12 seconds, this white-hot "second kill" ticket rush, announcing the opening of the North Film Festival, but also proved that the audience of the Chinese film market has never left, and everyone's enthusiasm for excellent films has never faded.
The guests of this year's Beijing Film Festival can be described as a gathering of stars and bright stars, spanning three generations of old, middle and young, in addition to the top pillars of the Mesozoic generation such as Wu Jing, Zhang Yi and Chen Kun, there are also older generation artists such as Tian Hua, Wang Xiaotang and Xie Fang, and there are also new generation of outstanding actors represented by Zhou Dongyu and Yi Yanqianxi.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Beijing International Film Festival is a carnival of movies and a carnival of movie fans.
We may quarrel.
The "Temple of Heaven Award" is the most important theme activity of the North Film Festival, and the judges of the "Temple of Heaven Award" are also one of the biggest attractions of the North Film Festival every year.
Actor Chen Kun, director Chen Zhengdao, director Rennie Haring, director Nadine Labaki, director Urshan, actor Zhang Songwen and jury chairman Gong Li together formed the international jury of the 11th "Temple of Heaven Award".
Talking about the judging work, Gong Li, as the chairman of the jury, admitted that she would watch the film with a rational attitude, put her own emotions aside, and look at the overall situation and details of the entire award;
Zhang Songwen also agreed with this, he admitted in the interview: "Among the 15 films shortlisted for the main competition unit this year, there are works that I don't like, but because I am a judge, I will go to see it twice or three times." ”
As for how to choose, Zhang Songwen laughed and said: "We may quarrel, we may be peaceful, or it may be difficult to reach a unified opinion." ”
Chen Kun, who served as a judge for the first time, also asked his friends Zhou Xun and Shu Qi for advice on his experience as a judge.
It is precisely because the North Film Festival has been awarding awards with a professional eye for several years, so that the North Film Festival has come to this scale today, and the North Film Festival has become a film display platform for outstanding films at home and abroad to participate in.
This is the third time I've seen this film.
In terms of shortlisted films, the Organizing Committee of the Beijing International Film Festival is facing the world and collecting outstanding films produced after January 1, 2020.
In the end, 15 films were shortlisted, including 3 Chinese films: "Everything About My Mother", "Above the Clouds" and "If One Day I Will Leave You".
There are 12 foreign films, namely: "This Time of Love", "The Parking Lot of Life", "The School of Vessou Hill", "Siege Diary", "Caged Bird", "Meeting", "The Last Film Screening", "Distant Moon Rock Walk", "King's Night", "The Old Woman Who Can't Rest in Peace", "The Snow Girl" and "The Oath".
These shortlisted films constitute a wonderful and eclectic audiovisual feast, and build a bridge of communication for cooperation and exchange between Chinese and world films.
In particular, these three domestic films, although they are not the so-called "big production", there is no famous director, nor the popular fried chicken, their selection is undoubtedly a respect for film art, a respect for Chinese filmmakers and actors.
Especially this "If One Day I Will Leave You".
From the very beginning, the film was recognized by the audience and was one of the fastest sold out films on the day of ticketing.
Many people pay attention to this film because of a news from director Li Gang and his father Li Xuejian: "If one day I will leave you", I have watched it three times.
"The first time I saw this film was on my own birthday last year, after watching it, I didn't want it, I gave him back, and he left with tears in his eyes."
"The second time I saw this film was on my own birthday this year, and I thought this kid could be a director."
"This time I watched this film for the third time, and I hope that he will be grateful and forge ahead in the future, and make good works for the national audience."
Yao Chen also gave this film a high evaluation: "I haven't calmed down for a long time to watch a movie like this small bridge." ”
"If One Day I Will Leave You" is a microcosm of participating in this year's Beijing Film Festival: this year's Beijing Film Festival "Temple of Heaven Award" received a total of 889 films from 77 countries and regions to participate in the competition.
From the perspective of film selection, the inclusive and diverse perspective of the North Film Festival can be seen.
Several films from Denmark, "Credibility," Switzerland's "Caged Bird," Russia's "Conference," and Iran's "This Time to Love," have all been recognized by the media.
The diversity and international vision shown by these films will lead young creators to find better artistic expressions and international languages, so that Chinese films can better go to the world.
The North Film Festival brings together excellent films from different places and cultures to learn from each other and stir each other.
For example, the Russian film "Siege Diary" tells the story of the longest and most tragic siege war in human history, the Battle of Leningrad.
The film does not show the fierce fighting on the frontal battlefield, but focuses on a young woman who has just buried her husband and hopes to see her father before she dies.
From the perspective of a young woman devastated by war, feel the suffering of life at that time.
Another example is the Danish film "The Oath of Faith", which tells the story of a late-life female writer and a young poet, and explores more profound women's issues through the huge social status gap between the two.
In addition, the shortlisted films of this year's North Film Festival include films that focus on youth themes such as "The School of Wei su Hill" and "The Girl Who Fell snow".
As one of the largest film festivals in China every year, the Beijing Film Festival not only has a higher and higher gold content of the entries, but also receives more and more attention and affirmation at home and abroad, but also plays a guiding role in social values.
This is also the fundamental reason why the North Film Festival is becoming more and more recognized by the audience.
The audience's expectation of the film is no longer just to look good, but to give the film more emotions and expectations, which may be memories or prospects.
Just like when Jiang Wen and Gong Li stepped onto the stage at the closing ceremony, the "Sister You Boldly Go Forward" that rang out at the venue suddenly pulled everyone's thoughts back to Zhan'ao and Jiu'er in the sorghum field.
This is the charm of the film, the driving force that the Beijing Film Festival has always insisted on, and it is also the driving force for Chinese filmmakers to inherit the spark from generation to generation.
As an annual grand gathering of films at home and abroad, this year's Beijing International Film Festival is undoubtedly a success, giving Chinese films and world films a professional platform.
On this professional platform, let the world audience see Chinese movies, but also let Chinese audiences see world movies.
In fact, for filmmakers, whether it is the Beijing Film Festival or other film festivals, in this special year, it is a major victory for Chinese filmmakers.
The North Film Festival has never been a ring, not who won the best picture and the other is a loser, nor who wins more awards is the winner, nor is it to catch and fight to see who can laugh to the end.
Whether the film has participated in the competition, whether it has been shortlisted or not, whether it has won awards or not, it is all defending Chinese films and is a great encouragement to the Chinese film market.
This is not the starting point or the end point of Chinese cinema, but there is the present of Chinese cinema and the future of Chinese cinema.
That's why I wanted to write this push for the Beijing International Film Festival.
I want more people to know about it, to understand it, to see that there is such a group of people who are working tirelessly for the film industry.