On August 12, 2022, "United We Advance · Share Cultural Achievements—12th BJIFF ‘Ever Shining Cinema’ Public Benefit Activities" kicked off. Volunteers from the "Ever Shining Cinema" project team of the Communication University of China screened the film Never Stop for visually-impaired audience at MEI HOU SI SHI Jingshan Civic Cultural Center. Different from the screenings in cinemas, these volunteers made a special trip to four blind persons for screening this time, which is a solid proof of the public benefit practice for the mass with cultural sharing in principle of “Not One Disabled Less”. 

　　

　　Post of the 12th Beijing International Film Festival “Ever Shining Cinema” Public Benefit Activities

　　This event is jointly organized by "Ever Shining Cinema" project, Dongcheng Disabled Persons' Federation and MEI HOU SI SHI Jingshan Civic Cultural Center, all of which started preparations as early as more than half a month ago. The volunteers meticulously prepared 10 barrier-free films under main theme of "Strive for a New Journey and Stride to a New Era". Dongcheng Disabled Persons' Federation and MEI HOU SI SHI Jingshan Civic Cultural Center selected Never Stop for the visually impaired audience as they preferred to be screened on the day. In order to better serve the visually impaired audience, the volunteers worked out detailed film-watching programs covering overall arrangement, admission and seating in equal, sharing and barrier-free principles.

　　At about 10AM on August 12, 2022, under the guidance of the staff and volunteers of MEI HOU SI SHI Jingshan Civic Cultural Center, four visually impaired spectators from Jingshan Street with their families and some other community residents entered the venue when a voice of "Welcome to Ever Shining Cinema…” came out gently and warmly. During the screening, these special audience got immersed in the story-telling film, and gave wild applauses to the athletes in the film for their great transformations from low to high and constant efforts to achieve self-transcendence. 

　　They told volunteers that they are not only "fans" of barrier-free films, but also followers and supporters of the Ever Shining Cinema. Some of them already enjoyed the barrier-free films produced by Ever Shining Cinema offline. This time was very different, in their words, for the great efforts made by the seven volunteers and 20 plus staff from Dongcheng Disabled Persons' Federation and MEI HOU SI SHI Jingshan Civic Cultural Center who created an amazing and exclusive screening event for the four visually impaired audience. At the community-based event, all the audience enjoyed a cultural feast of the 12th BJIFF. Their feelings were manifested from the real talks, "It is really great for us to enjoy the barrier-free films at communities and hutong"; "Through the narration of volunteers, we can better understand the film"; "The students did a good job in story-telling, and we are very pleased to listen to them"; "I hope to feel what the film wants to tell us and draw the power of life from the barrier-free films".

　　

　　Visually impaired audience entering the venue under the guidance of the volunteers of “Ever Shining Cinema”

　　As a regular session of Public Benefit Activities of the BJIFF, "Ever Shining Cinema", guided by the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Chinese Films, aims to help visually impaired people enjoy international film festivals through the production and dissemination of barrier-free films, and boost the improvement of the public service system for film screening. 

　　

　　Site of “Ever Shining Cinema” Public Benefit Activities of the 12th BJIFF 

　　During the screenings at the 12th BJIFF, "Ever Shining Cinema" will strive to further promote barrier-free films for more communities in Beijing, such as the New Era Civilization Practice Centers in Chaoyang District, so as to build a platform and provide convenience for visually impaired people to enjoy films and other cultural achievements.

　　

　　Visually impaired audience enjoy the barrier-free films

　　The “Ever Shining Cinema” project was jointly launched by the Communication University of China, Beijing Gehua CATV Network Co., Ltd. and Dongfang Jiaying Television Cinema Media Share Company. For this project, the barrier-free audio-visual films are presented with insertion of the narration on pictures at the intervals between dialogues and sounds, with an aim to build a “cultural sidewalk for the blind”. At present, the project team has produced more than 500 barrier-free films, and completed public benefit screenings and promotions in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Macao Special Administrative Region of China, covering 2,244 special education schools across the country. 

　　

　　A volunteer of “Ever Shining Cinema” talking with the visually impaired audience

　　In 2019, "Ever Shining Cinema" became a regular session of the public benefit activities at BJIFF, and completed a screening at the Capital Cinema (Xidan) in JOY CITY. In 2020, the "Ever Shining Cinema" took part in the online "Beijing Film Market" of the 10th BJIFF to display its barrier-free films. At the 11th BJIFF in 2021, the "Ever Shining Cinema" screened a barrier-free film for the students at Beijing School for the Blind. 

　　

　　A group photo of volunteers and the audience

　　In the future, "Ever Shining Cinema" will continue to produce 104 barrier-free films every year, and arrange the screenings of two films each week. All the volunteers will keep delivering their films to the schools for the blind, libraries, cinemas, communities and families, especially the platforms based on international film festivals such as BJIFF, in a bid to share the achievements of film development with the mass and tell the stories of China’s film industry on public benefits.