On Day 5 of the 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), the Beijing Film Market Contract Signing Ceremony, second Tiantan Award International Jury Press Conference, Reciprocal Reception for Media, and Market Screenings were held in an orderly manner. Details about the events of the day are as follows.

 

The Beijing Film Market Contract Signing Ceremony of the 11th BJIFF was held in Beijing on September 25. Leaders including Wang Jiequn, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, and Director of the Beijing Municipal Film Administration, Yang Shujian, Deputy Party Secretary and President of Bank of Beijing, Wang Bo, Party Secretary and President of Poly Culture Group Corp Ltd., and Li Weiqiang, Executive Vice President of Poly Culture Group Corp Ltd., and Chairman of Poly Pictures Investment Co., Ltd., were present. 44 key projects and 39 enterprises were launched at the event this year with a total amount of 35.223 billion yuan, a new record and a yearly growth of about 6%.

 

The Beijing Film Market has been a major section of the BJIFF. The Contract Signing Ceremony, a key part of the Beijing Film Market, has always been an annual event in the film industry, shaping the trends of the film industry in the coming year. The signed projects include film projects, film industry funds, film derivative businesses, and other elements along the film industry chain. The Beijing Film Market Contract Signing Ceremony has promoted negotiation and signing of 346 key projects over the past 11 years, with a total transaction volume of 200.251 billion yuan, a great validation of the acceptance and recognition of the platform in the industry.

 

 

The second Tiantan Award (Competition Section) International Jury Press Conference of the 11th BJIFF was held in the Grand Ballroom of Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center in the evening on September 25. Jury members, including Jury president Gong Li, Chen Kun, Leste Chen, Wuershan and Zhang Songwen, and approximately 100 journalists were present for Q&A. As of the end of the press conference, the competition of the Tiantan Award was concluded.

 

 

The 11th BJIFF Reciprocal Reception for Media was hosted on September 25, with Zhang Su, Member of the Party Leadership Group, Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 11th BJIFF, Cui Yan, Director of BJIFF Operation Center at Beijing Radio & Television Station (BRTV), and Executive Deputy Director of the BJIFF Organizing Committee Office, and Zhu Liqing, Deputy Director of BTV-4 Center, and Deputy Director of the BJIFF Organizing Committee Office, among others.

 

The media has been paying valued attention and support to the BJIFF as a witness and facilitating BJIFF’s constant progress for a long time. The Organizing Committee invited media to be gathered tonight to express its heartfelt gratitude.

 

 

The 11th BJIFF China Film Marketing Summit: Film Marketing Development in the Era of New Consumption was held at Beijing Radio & Television Station (BRTV) on the afternoon of September 25. As a main forum of the BJIFF this year, the event was hosted by the BJIFF Organizing Committee, organized by Beijing Film Academy and co-organized by Film π.

 

Attending the event were Mr. Bian Jian, Deputy Chief Editor of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Deputy Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the 11th BJIFF; Mr. Hou Guangming, doctoral supervisor, former Party Secretary of Beijing Film Academy and Secretary-General of National Film Think-Tank; Mr. Li Ning, Senior Vice President of New Classics Media Group and CEO of New Classics Pictures; Mr. Sun Zheyi, President of Sunac Culture Group and Executive Director of Sunac China; Mr. Zheng Zhihao, CEO of Maoyan Entertainment; Mr. Zhang Wenbo, founder of Bravo Entertainment; Mr. Xiao Yi, film producer and Head of Douyin content cooperation; Professor Liu Jun, Head of the Research Service Office of Beijing Film Academy; Mr. Chen Jiu, founder and CEO of China Magic Film; Ms. Huang Ziyan, founder and CEO of Heguang Films; Mr. Yang Lei, Deputy General Manager of Film Production Division at Huayi Brothers; Mr. Mu Chen, President of Alibaba Pictures’ Beacon Research Institute; and Mr. Yang Zongling, founder and CEO of Century KP.

 

On the day, the forum brought together many leaders, experts, scholars and first-line practitioners to discuss the role and significance of new changes in film marketing for the development of the overall film industry, and share their outlook for the way forward of China’s film marketing in the era of new consumption. Focusing on a brand-new technology and consumption environment, they provided a profound summary of the current new trends for film marketing development in China, based on the practical background of new consumption in combination with the development of new technologies and changes in the film production and marketing environment.

 

 

The BJIFF this year invited world class filmmaker Asghar Farhadi to take a dive in the theme of “Secret and Answer: Foundation of Farhadi’s Realism” with film scholar Wang Yao. Asghar shared his experience and insight on creation. Farhadi opened the Masterclass with his early creative experience, talking about the profound influence of drama on his film creation and taking a long hard look at the shooting process of the pinnacle of social drama Nader and Simin, a Separation and the photography adventure in Europe. In addition, the director also mentioned his mostly recent work A Hero (2021) with positive comments, and sent warm blessings to Chinese films.

 

 

The BJIFF invited most influential filmmaker in Chinese film community—Peter Chan to have an in-depth dialogue with his valuable partner and screenwriter Zhang Ji on September 25. They talked about their cooperation in works such as American Dreams in China and Leap, analyzed Peter’s transformation from young UFO era to mature and natural creation in Mainland, and mentioned trial screening and survey system of the film industry in various regions. Director Chan shared his filmmaking experience over the past decade, and expressed his “fighting spirit” and expectation in the face of opportunities and challenges brought about by streaming media. He said, "We should always stand on the ring no matter what kind of ring it is. That is, we must always seize our right to discourse. We can tell stories and we can move people. With this ability, we should not give up. I think that’s our responsibility as filmmakers.”

 

 

The 11th BJIFF released the poster—“A Movie-Themed Train to the Movie Capital”. With the blue-purple on the train body as the main color and dotted with the sense of graininess, the dream-like poster shows us a beautiful scenery. The poster captures the fleeting Huairou-Miyun line, and echoes our enthusiasm to the grand event of the 11th BJIFF. Busy filmmakers, one of the elements in the main visual poster of the 11th BJIFF -- "Concerted Efforts Made to Create Light", is also manifested in this piece of film. In the picture, they are earnestly directing, shooting and performing along the Huairou-Miyun Line to constantly explore the boundaries of films, and embark on a journey of film for themselves and for the Chinese film industry with enthusiasm, diligence, professionalism and staidness.

 

 

On the third day (September 25) of Market Screenings of Beijing Film Market, six well-rated films, including Bone Cage, Furlough, Ella Bella Bingo, No Rest for the Old Lady, Que Sera Sera and Conference, were screened, and won overwhelming response from buyers. The day marked the end of the three-day Market Screenings with a total of 18 screening sessions. The event aims to provide direct film screenings for insiders or interested buyers to facilitate transactions, and enables films to be “seen”.

 

 

The documentary film Sacrifice had its world premiere at Poly International Cinema, Tiananmen, Beijing, on September 25. At the end of the film, Wang Peiyu had a video call with the audience, and shared his sentiments related to the film and the opera. The film will be released in theater nationwide by the end of October after screening in the Theatre Live section of the Beijing Film Panorama, 11th BJIFF.

 

 

As one of the activities of the 11th BJIFF, the Launch Ceremony of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Art Film Alliance & “Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Art Film Alliance” Summit was held at No.4 Screening Hall, China National Film Museum, on September 24. Four organizers signed the Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Art Film Alliance at the ceremony. Afterwards, the Alliance hosted the very first event since its founding—a summit with the theme of “Film & Television Resources Integration and Outlook in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei”.