The 10th Beijing International Festival (BJIFF) came to a successful conclusion on August 29. This year, a great number of domestic and foreign masterpieces were screened, various activities such as excellent and professional forums were held, and a new record was set in the contract signing ceremony of the Beijing Film Market. After the 10th BJIFF with the theme of "In Pursuit of A Shared Dream" came back with the greater glory of movies, it is looking forward to seeing you again next year!

1. Special Program Together Again: Let’s Gather Together at the 11th BJIFF

　　"Together Again", a special program released by Beijing Radio & Television Station for the 10th BJIFF on August 29, brought together filmmakers via three sessions: "Reunion and Love", "Reunion in 2020" and "Future Reunion" in the forms of time cinema, dialogue and reunion and imagination.

　　During the event, actresses Yong Mei and Tao Hong had an emotional chat. Fu Ruoqing, General Manager of China Film Co., Ltd., Chairman of Huaxia Film Distribution Co., Ltd., and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 10th BJIFF had a sincere conversation with film directors Stanley Tong and Lu Chuan. The casts and crews of My Hometown and I, Leap, Coffee or Tea, and Legend of Deification to be screened during the National Day holiday were gathered. The cast and crew of Ultimate Speed talked about their expectation, and actor Zheng Kai voiced the thinking and inspiration brought by the film in the stage with a strong sense of science fiction. Guan Xiaotong, Zhang Xueying, Xu Weizhou, Xiong Ziqi, and Yin Liyuan sang the classic episode of the movie The Wizard of Oz -Over the Rainbow online. Yao Chen sang Spring Blossoms, to invite friends worldwide to the 11th BJIFF next spring.

2. Summit on the Development of Future Films: Integration of Big Screen and Streaming Media under Competitions

　　On the morning of August 29, the Summit on the Development of Future Films of the 10th BJIFF took place at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center. Huo Zhijing, Director of the Film and Television Division of the Publicity Department of Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Executive Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 10th BJIFF attended the event. With the theme "Integration of Big Screen and Streaming Media under Competitions", the forum invited Zhou Liming, a famous film critic as the moderator. Guests present were Xu Zheng, a famous director, actor, producer, and screenwriter; Zhang Yibai, a famous director and producer; Jiang Wei, a producer and President of Wuyuan Wanxiang Pictures; Wu Hehu, former Vice General Manager of Shanghai United Cinema Circuit; and Song Jia, General Manager of iQIYI Film Center. Focusing on topics such as "cinema-oriented films screened at online platforms", "film and television adaptation of games", and "the influence of streaming media on film and television creation", they discussed new ideas about the complementary and integrated development of big screen and streaming media, playing a positive role in the development trends of future films.

3. Chinese Opera Film Section: Expanding the Influence of Chinese Opera Films

　　The 10th BJIFF "Film +" presented Offline Screenings of Chinese Opera Films on August 29. During the activity, Ping opera film Zhao Jintang and Yue opera film Li Huiniang, 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.

4. Second Session of Online Cinemas: Finnish Memories of Helene

　　"A Decade of Images in the Autumn" Online Cinemas of the 10th BJIFF was held from August 26, which will last four weeks. The BJIFF will stream five films from different countries, namely Krabi, 2562, Helene, The Best Years of a Life (Les Plus Belles Années d’Une Vie), Udine, and Carmine Street Guitars?.

　　The Online Cinemas features a virtual VIP hall with a capacity of 500 audiences. On the day of the event, fans can enter a WeChat group to select seats online, and then log in on iQIYI to watch the films. After screenings, special guests related to the films were invited into the WeChat group to communicate with fans via voice messages. The Online Cinemas enables audience from around the world to be part of the online BJIFF.

　　Today's second session focused on Finland. Helene turns the clock back to the beginning of the 20th century, recalling the outstanding artist Helene Schjerfbeck, who has been neglected in the history of art for a long time, and paying attention to the extraordinary love affair between her and her close friend Einar Reuter.

5. Eighth Class of Online BJIFF-Class: éric Rohmer's Road to the Master

　　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.

　　Today's movie class is focused on "éric Rohmer's movies”. The year coincides with the centenary of the birth of French film master éric Rohmer. As Bazin's successor, Rohmer has been the editor-in-chief of the Cahiers du Cinema since 1958. At that time, his counterparts such as Godard, Truffaut, Chabrol and Rivette all successively finished their maiden works and rose to fame in the film industry. It was not until in 1962 that Rohmer completed Le Signe du lion. In 1969, his breakthrough film My Night at Maud’s was Oscar-nominated and established his fame as a great director around the world. From then on, his franchise of Six Moral Tales captured more attention. Afterwards, Rohmer embarked on two film franchises: the Comedies and Proverbs and Tales of the Four Seasons. He shot these two films within three years. He often cooperated with the same film crew members and others called this team "Compaigne Eric Rohmer". With his keen observation of the details in life and his unique film language, Rohmer is doomed to go down in history of film and has influenced Wong Kar-Wai and other film masters.

6. Online Screenings: Brilliance with Foreign Hits

　　Today, the Online Screenings section of the 10th BJIFF presented the German film Relativity, the Finnish film Helena, and the Italian film Gualtiero Marchesi: The Great Italian. Relativity tells the story of the heroine Nora meets the "most familiar stranger" after her boyfriend passes away, Helena focuses on the love affair between the artist Helena and her best friend Einar Reuter, and the documentary Gualtiero Marchesi: The Great Italian records the life of Gualtiero Marchesi, the chef who changed the history of Italian regional cuisine forever. The three films from different countries will offer you exotic cultures.

7. Meet-and-greet with Cast & Crew of Like the Dyer's Hand

　　On August 29, Like the Dyer's Hand, a film in the "Women's Voice" section of the 10th BJIFF was screened at the China Film Archive.

　　Before the screening, Zuo Heng, a film scholar from the China Film Art Research Center, presented a guide. He introduced Ye Jiaying's accomplishments and status in Chinese literary history, sharing his fantastic experience of reading Ye's works in his school days.

　　Like the Dyer's Hand is a good film that needs the audience to watch on their feet, he said. Aside from Ye's life trail ad mental state, the director consciously presents the artistic conception and image of Chinese classical poetry studied by Ye. The film integrates audio-visual elements with image, deep-rooted unconsciousness and subconsciousness to display the essence and elegance of Chinese classical culture. Thus it is worthy of special attention.

　　Remarkably, Like the Dyer's Hand was sold out within only 5 seconds after online ticketing started to become the film with tickets sold out fastest during the 10th BJIFF. Directed by Chen Chuanxing, the film is a literary documentary featuring literary master Ye Jiaying as the heroine, which depicts a mix of her life with Chinese classical poetry and her trail of exploring the meaning of existence in poetry. With Beijing quadrangle as the structural model, it presents Ye's rough but tough life.

8. Meet-and-greet with Cast & Crew of All About ING

　　On the afternoon of August 29, a special screening of All About ING, a film shortlisted for the "Beijing Film Panorama", was presented at Broadway Cinematheque. Following the screening, director Huang Zi and producer Qian Yini came to the cinema to communicate with Yang Yang and the audience.

　　All About ING is young director Huang Zi's directorial feature debut that won the Jury Award at the 13th FIRST International Film Festival. Two post-screenings meet-and-greets took place during the 10th BJIFF and were both well received. At the Broadway version this afternoon, Huang talked about the origin of the film and the impact of his childhood experience on film creation once again. In the Q&A session, several film majors discussed the dilemma of young directors with Huang of the same professional origin.

9. 10th BJIFF Theme Salon "Goodbye, South" Held

　　On the afternoon of August 29, the theme salon of the 10th BJIFF "Goodbye, South" was held at SKP RENDEZ-VOUS. Huang Zi, director of All About ING; Gao Ming, director of Damp Season; Li Yunbo, director of Wild Swords; and Sha Dan, curator of the Beijing Film Panorama, attended the event and exchanged ideas.

　　The "Goodbye, South" theme salon seems to be related to Hsiao-hsien Hou's Goodbye South, Goodbye (1996) in its name. The term of "South New Wave" should not be strange to movie fans that pay attention to the creations of young Chinese directors, since "territoriality" has become a noticeable phenomenon in Chinese-language film creations in recent years.

　　The three guests present today all have some connections with the South to some extent. During the conversation, the three directors briefed their identity as creators and their relations with Guangzhou. Director Gao Ming shot the documentary Paigu in Shenzhen at an earlier stage, and Li Yunbo worked as a TV director in Guangzhou Broadcasting Network where he got in touch with a large number of local amateur actors in Guangzhou. On this basis, he created A Confucian Confusion-style Something in Blue. In the Q&A session, the three young directors shared their experiences of directing the maiden film. A footage of the third feature film Pearl directed by Li Yunbo was screened at the end of the event. The successful salon ended up with the three directors’ sincere speeches.

10. TV Screenings: Tune in Well-rated Movies

　　Other than the high-quality Chinese films such as American Dreams in China, The Wandering Earth, Wolf Totem, and My People, My Country, the 10th BJIFF TV Screenings also presented Piata Lod (Little Harbour) co-produced in Czech and Slovakia today. The winner of the Crystal Bear for Best Film at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival tells the story of the 10-year-old girl Jarka living with her grandmother and mother. After the death of her grandmother, her irresponsible mother runs away from home, leaving her to live on her own. By chance, she brings two babies back and takes care of them. Fresh and rustic, the film vividly shows the loneliness of the little protagonist from a kid's perspective.

11. Outdoor Screenings: Summer Night in Italian Stories

　　The Outdoor Screenings presented The Bikes of Wrath, To the Fore and The Traitor at Inside-out Cinema, Nanluo Bookstore and Maple Garden Drive-in Cinema. The Traitor, a new film directed by Italian film master Marco Bellocchio, is about the life of Tommaso Buscetta, an Italian Mafia boss in the 1980s. It was shortlisted for the Competition section of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and won the David di Donatello Award for Best Film. With the traditional style of Italian films, it is steady in narration.