During the 2024 Spring Festival, the country received a total of more than 8 billion yuan in movie box office, setting a new record for the Spring Festival box office in Chinese film history and demonstrating the vitality of Chinese movies. Beijing topped the city box office list with a box office of approximately 260 million yuan.
Beijing is the national cultural center, the birthplace of Chinese films, and the most dynamic city for the development of contemporary Chinese films. In 2011, when the first Beijing International Film Festival was held, China's movie box office was 13.1 billion yuan; in 2023, China's movie box office will reach 64.2 billion yuan. The Beijing International Film Festival, which has been in its 13th year, corresponds to China's progress from a major film country to a powerful film country - it is not only a glorious witness, but also a powerful promoter. Not only that, the Beijing Film Festival has also injected new vitality and momentum into the development of global films with its international, authoritative and mass character. It has become a stage to tell the story of China and Beijing, a window to show the capital’s development achievements and social prosperity, and help China Better participate in the globalization process and exert international influence.
A platform for film world premieres/Asia premieres
Beijing International Film Festival, as an important cultural platform, is open to all rivers and lakes, fully demonstrating the "gathering nature" of the film festival, and showing the magnificent scenery of global image styles.
Every year, the "Tiantan Awards" receive film registrations from various countries and regions around the world, and the number continues to hit new highs - 889 films in 2021, 1,450 films in 2022, and 1,488 films in 2023.
These films include the latest works of global heavyweight directors, as well as surprise works by emerging directors, and include many premiere films making their debut. For example, at the 5th Beijing Film Festival in 2015, the 13 international films shortlisted for the "Tiantan Award" were all "international premieres"; " Persian Course" was nominated for the "Tiantan Award" at the 10th Beijing Film Festival. " is the "Asia Premiere".
According to Sha Dan, a senior film selector at the Beijing Film Festival, the Beijing International Film Festival is a more proactive "promotional film festival" that is different from some commendation-style film festivals. With the passage of time, the Beijing Film Festival's popularity continues to increase. "Today, more and more film producers realize that the Beijing International Film Festival is an excellent platform and take the initiative to contact them." In terms of time, the Beijing International Film Festival held in April also takes up "time". Shadan analyzed: "The Beijing Film Festival is preceded by the Berlin Film Festival, and then there is the May Day period. It can be said that this film festival has a strong connecting effect."
2023 is the 10th anniversary of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative . To this end, the Beijing Film Festival specially planned a special screening of "Silk Road Ten Years Lenovo to the Future: Film Asia Connection" and selected ten films for screening including "Bright Ashes", "His Autobiography" and "Set Up". These films are the most important works of the "Belt and Road" partners in recent years, and many of them are hits. Moreover, most of these ten films are cross-border co-productions. "These films actually integrate the power of Asian films and are also a powerful demonstration of our country's proposition of promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and promoting the construction of a global community with a shared future," Shadan said.
According to statistics, in the past 13 years, the Beijing Film Festival has screened more than 4,000 Chinese and foreign films and more than 10,000 screenings. It has truly grown into a large platform for international exchanges, bringing more new opportunities and new possibilities to the development of world films.
A platform for international filmmakers to exchange/cooperate.
The "14th Five-Year Plan for Beijing Film Development Plan" proposes to deepen international exchanges, exchanges and cooperation in film, making Beijing's role as "China's Film Window" more prominent. The Beijing Film Festival outlines a film world that brings together global perspectives and tolerates multiculturalism, and becomes a platform for international filmmakers to communicate and cooperate.
Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov, French director Luc Besson, Danish director Billy August, American director Rob Minkoff, Zhang Yimou, Li Xuejian, Gong Li, John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, etc. , these heavyweight Chinese and foreign filmmakers have all served as chairman of the Beijing Film Festival's "Tiantan Award" international jury, leading the industry with their professional perspectives. Rob Minkoff, Chairman of the International Jury of the 9th Tiantan Awards, said: “The Beijing Film Festival has become an ‘international community’ by showcasing films from various countries and telling stories from different cultural backgrounds."
As one of the main activities of the Beijing Film Festival, one high-end forum after another brings together the best filmmakers at the moment. Famous directors Ang Lee, Ke Wensi, Nuri Big Ceylan, Jessica... Hausna has frequently spoken out wise words in master classes over the years, sharing the light and heat of their film dreams with filmmakers around the world.
In order to further expand the "circle of friends", starting from the 11th session, Beijing Film Academy The festival has specially added the guest country of honor. The first guest country of honor, Greece, not only opened a window for movie fans to understand Greek culture, but also helped to combine Greece’s unique film shooting advantages with China’s huge potential film market to achieve resource sharing. Argentina’s Embassy in China Ambassador Niu Wangdao was invited to host the opening ceremony as the representative of the guest country of the 12th Beijing Film Festival - this is also the first foreign ambassador to China invited to host the opening ceremony since the establishment of the Beijing Film Festival. 2023 Beijing Film Festival Thailand, the guest country of honor, is also actively organizing film and television delegations to come to Beijing to participate in activities.
The famous director Alfonso Cuarón, who serves as a judge for the 4th Beijing Film Festival’s “Temple of Heaven Award”, said that the most unforgettable thing about the Beijing Film Festival for him is “ Forum for Chinese and Foreign Film Cooperation. Maria Grazia Gucinnata, a member of the jury of the 7th Tiantan Awards and a famous Italian actress, called the exchanges with filmmakers from all over the world at the Beijing Film Festival an "unparalleled event". Experience".
What the famous French actor Jean Reno said at the 4th Beijing Film Festival represents the "positioning" of the Beijing Film Festival by world filmmakers - "The Beijing International Film Festival is a platform that connects films from all over the world. The bridge and bond between producers will promote cultural exchanges in the international film industry."
A platform for domestic films to go global
Building a global stage and telling Chinese stories has always been one of the important focuses of the Beijing International Film Festival. The Beijing Film Festival is Showing the creativity of Chinese film culture and the innovation of telling Chinese stories, it has built a platform that attracts global attention.
Through the Beijing Film Festival, more Chinese films are being known to overseas audiences. At the 11th Beijing Film Festival , the domestic film " above the sky " became the biggest winner, winning three major awards including best film, best actor, and best photography. This war-themed work uses "ink texture" to tell the story of the Red Army, in which China Poetic film aesthetics allow the world to see the oriental civilization that has been passed down for thousands of years and is changing with each passing day.
Building the Beijing Film Festival into a platform for domestic films to go global is one of the goals of the organizers of the Beijing Film Festival. Curator Sha Dan told reporters , “The curatorial team will re-release some Chinese classic films, especially those that have just been restored, through the platform of the Beijing Film Festival, so that the films can be connected with the current cultural spirit. Show your originality while maintaining compatibility with the Beijing Film Festival. "
At the same time, the Beijing Film Festival also promotes Sino-foreign film cooperation and helps Chinese films and Chinese culture "go out" by holding Chinese and foreign film co-production project promotion meetings and negotiation meetings: directed by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud The film " Wolf Totem " is a Sino-French co-production contract project at the 3rd Beijing International Film Festival; the "China-Eastern European Film Promotion Plan" with Warsaw International Film Festival Chairman Steve Lauding as the European representative , is also the result of the Beijing Film Festival.
On the communication platform established by the Beijing Film Festival, representatives from the German Film Association, the Korean Film Promotion Committee and other organizations learned about the charm of Chinese films; global film dealers purchase domestically produced films through the Beijing Film Festival New films allow Chinese films to go global. In addition, the Beijing Film Festival has also deepened long-term cooperation with Vietnam's Hanoi International Film Festival, China-ASEAN Center, etc., building a bridge for film exchanges between China and the world.
A platform for the training and improvement of domestic filmmakers
With the theme of "sharing resources and win-win future", the Beijing International Film Festival is also committed to promoting the development of the domestic film industry and discovering potential film talents.
Since 2012, the Beijing International Film Festival has established a project venture capital platform. From the beginning From scripts to projects, the venture capital platform has become one of the brightest sectors of the Beijing Film Festival. In the past 12 years, the venture capital platform of the Beijing Film Festival has received a total of more than 7,000 registered projects, and more than 200 outstanding projects have stood out, many of which The project has blossomed on the silver screen.For example, "My Agent Grandpa", " Shout·Mountain ", " Antarctic Love ", "Spring River Plumbing", " One and Four ", etc., all went to the market through the Beijing Film Festival Venture Capital Platform and achieved good results. response. A group of young directors have also stood out under the venture capital system of the Beijing Film Festival, such as Gu Xiaogang, director of "Spring River Plumbing", Xu Lei, director of "Sherlock on the Plain", Kumi Seiretsu, director of "One and Four", etc. Starting in 2021, the Beijing Film Festival will also set up a "Youth Chinese Film Venture Capital Training Camp" to help young creators complete themed short films with both personal style and artistic standards.
With the help of the Beijing Film Festival platform, young directors can not only start their own film dreams, but also continue their film experience and better integrate into the film industry. Li Tang, a young director who participated in the final review road show of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival, said, "Through the Beijing Film Festival platform, we can get help from producers and production parties, so that projects can be better implemented and executed."
Beijing Film Festival actively promotes film exchanges, cultivates young film talents, and sincerely does practical things for young directors. It has formed a "positive cycle" of the training system for young directors. In this regard, director Chen Zhengdao, who once served as a judge for the 11th Beijing Film Festival's "Tiantan Award", spoke highly of it, "A truly large-scale international film festival, in addition to awarding honors and expanding the social influence of films, more importantly buries... Sow the seeds of new life for movies." The new seeds of hope sown by the Beijing Film Festival for movies may become an "incubator" for Chinese film talents today or in the future.
(Beijing Youth Daily)
