The Organizing Committee of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) recently announced that Gong Li will join the BJIFF as the Jury President of Tiantan Award.

 

Her 30 years of efforts in the film industry are exactly the history of Chinese-language films rising up in the international film community. As a window of Chinese-language films to the world, Gong Li has made extraordinary performances in all films she starred for the touching and vivid expression of figures she learnt from daily life, such as the hard-bitten Chinese woman, which depicts a unique oriental society in the world.

 

In her latest film Leap, Gong Li played a well-known Chinese volleyball coach – Lang Ping, which sparked extensive discussions and won widespread acclaim in China. Thanks to her amazing performance that perfectly portrayed the “Iron Hammer” (a nickname of Lang Ping) in both temperament and spirit, she again showed audiences the vigor and energy of the China women's national volleyball team from the perspective of a coach.

 

Gong Li perseveres in acting with practice: “The actors who never stop in exploration, innovation and trying will win the respect of the world.” She puts her heart in every character with endless love in acting. From China to the world, she has been paid compliments by audiences all over the globe, which makes her one of the most successful actresses on the international arena.

Gong Li made a great coup at her debut - Red Sorghum directed by Zhang Yimou, in which Jiu'er, played by her, blooms with primitive vitality that impresses the world. The film won Golden Bear at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival as the first Chinese-language film granted the top prize among the three major international film festivals in Europe (Venice International Film Festival, The Festival de Cannes and Berlin International Film Festival).

 

In the film The Story of Qiu Ju, she is a stubborn and tough peasant living in a village in Shaanxi, China. The film won the Best Actress and Golden Lion at the 49th Venice International Film Festival, making her the first one with the honor of "Best Actress" in mainland China.

 

In the film Farewell My Concubine, she played Juxian, a headstrong female who never surrenders herself to the unrest society. It won the Golden Palm at the Festival de Cannes in 1993.

 

Besides, she also shaped many impressive roles with distinct personalities in films such as Ju Dou, Raise The Red Lantern, Zhou Yu's Train, Temptress Moon, Eros, Shanghai Triad and La Peintre, and took roles in some commercial films, including Hollywood blockbusters Miami Vice, Hannibal Rising and Shanghai. Her incisive and vivid performance successfully convinced the audiences over the world.

 

Gong Li, the only actress in the world whose films starred were crowned at the three major international film festivals in Europe, has created several “tops” in the history.

 

Gong Li served as the jury president and member in several international film festivals, such as the jury president at the 50th Berlin International Film Festival, the 59th Venice International Film Festival, the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival and the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival, China, as well as the jury member at the Festival de Cannes 1997.

 

Since its inception, the BJIFF has been committed to building a cultural exchange platform for the world’s film industry towards the goal of “international level, Chinese characteristics and Beijing style”. The Tiantan Award aims to introduce the excellent films from the world and promote the exchange between Chinese and foreign films. This year, with Gong Li as the Jury President of Tiantan Award, the 11th BJIFF is believed to bring us a new highlight from her professional attitude and global perspective.