Dream of Lights and Shadows Illuminating the ”Future” — Results of ”Forward Future” Section Revealed

The 11th BJIFF

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The “Forward Future” section at the 11th Beijing International Film Festival has concluded. A total of 14 films participated in the section and 12 films were screened, including The Whaler Boy, Chupacabra, Mr. Suzuki: A Man in God's Country, Friends and Strangers, The Man with the Answers, Bone Cage, Lost, BOTOX, Knock Knock, Residue, The Pit, Namo, Silenced Tree and The Pack. Over the years, the “Forward Future" section has been dedicated to discovering and introducing new film makers and new works, encouraging innovation and stimulating creative vitality. All the films were the first or second feature films of these directors. The “Forward Future" section became a great starting point for the lights and shadows journey of many film creators. All their works recorded the splendid and brilliant youth of their own artistic careers as well as created a new life for the film art, which illuminated the road to the "future".

The jury president of “Forward Future” section this year was chaired by Tony Lane, British filmmaker and commentator. Greek director Yannis Sakaridis and Chinese actress Huang Lu, writer Shuang Xuetao, producer Shen Yang acted as the jury members. The five well-known people in the industry came from all over the world with different professional backgrounds and artistic visions, which provided a diverse perspective and broad horizon for the honor selection of the “Forward Future” section. After careful inspection, discussion and in-depth research, the jury members decided on 7 honors out of the distinctive shortlisted 14 films, namely, the "Most Popular Feature Film", "Most Popular Director", "Most Popular Screenplay", "Most Popular Actress", "Most Popular Actor ", "Most Popular Artistic Contribution" and "Special Mention Film by the Jury". All these honors are the encouragement and rewards for outstanding creators and their works as well as a blessing for new filmmakers in the "Forward Future” section, wishing they could continue to forge ahead along the way of light and shadow, maintain the original drams and push ahead for a better "future".

A video mash-up of the honored films in “Forward Future” section

Iranian film Namo won the honor of "MOST POPULAR FEATURE FILM”. Directed by Nader Saeivar, the film focuses on “alienation”, a profound social issue, and expresses an aggressive social atmosphere.

Stage Photo of Namo

Philipp Yuryev, the director of The Whaler Boy, won the honor of “MOST POPULAR DIRECTOR”. Philip Yuryev graduated from the All-Russian State University of Cinematography. His graduation work The Song of the Mechanical Fish was shortlisted for the short film competitions at the Sundance Film Festival 2013 and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2012. The background of his first feature film The Whaler Boy is set in the Chukotka Autonomous Region in Russia's Far North. The film describes an online love story of the protagonist Leshka, which fully demonstrates the loneliness of this adolescent teenage and his strong desire for love.

Stage Photo of The Whaler Boy

Stelios Kammitsis, the screenwriter of the film The Man With the Answers, won the honor of "MOST POPULAR SCREENPLAY”. Stelios Kammitsis was born and grew up in Cyprus and studied film at the State University of New York. His graduation documentary The 25th Member once participated in the college awards on behalf of his university. In 2015, he wrote, produced and directed the short film Downhill, which won two awards for the Best Screenplay and Best Film with Social Context at Drama IFF, the Best Photography at the Cyprus International Short Film Festival. The Man with The Answers tells the story of a diving champion, Victor, who tries to step out of the comfort zone of life and steps into the unknown during a trip: In the face of the magnificent scene of nature, Victor, who no longer dives, bravely "jumps" into the real life and rediscovers a vast and magnificent world.

Stage Photo of The Man with The Answers

Susan Parvar, starring in the film Botox, won the honor of “MOST POPULAR ACTRESS”. She plays Akram, a legendary character based on real life in the film Botox and creates a fate completely different from others with her own complicated spiritual world.

Stage Photo of Botox

Obinna Nwachukwu, starring in the film Residue, won the honor of "MOST POPULAR ACTOR”. He plays the protagonist Jay in the film. Residue tells the story of a producer named Jay. When he returns to the neighborhood where he once lived in Washington, D.C., he finds that everything has been destroyed beyond recognition: in the new community, Jay has to face a lot of troubles such as the alienation of old friends and the missing of his beloved ones. Then, it seems that only the "residue" of old life can put his broken life together once again.

Stage Photo of Residue

Tsering Yangjyab, the photographer of Chinese film Lost, won the honor of "Most POPULAR ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTION”. Omoi Sasaki, director and screenwriter of the film Mr. Suzuki: A Man in God's Country won the honor of "SPECIAL JURY PRIZE, the last honor of “Forward Future” section. In the film, he describes the life of single people mixed with joy and sorrow.

Stage Photo of Lost

With the successful conclusion of film selections and screenings, the “Forward Future” section of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival has come to an end. However, all the filmmakers have never stopped the steps running forward to the “future". "Future" means the development of history and the progress of art, and it bears the filmmakers’ dreams of light and shadow. The “Forward Future” section records the start of many filmmakers’ dream-seeking journeys and watches them striving for the peak of art with full expectations. Now, the “Forward Future” section will accompany them to grow and illuminate the “future” of film industry.