Global cinematic masterpieces gather in Beijing, extending a silver screen invitation to film fans worldwide. On March 27, the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) Press Conference announced the official selection of its competition section, Tiantan Award.
This year's “Tiantan Award” attracted 1,794 feature film submissions from 103 countries and regions around the world. Notably, nearly 90% of the entries came from outside China, demonstrating a wide range of genres and themes.
The following is a detailed introduction to the official selection:
Apollo by Day Athena by Night
Defne is an orphaned novice medium with an eccentric temperament. She arrives in Side, an ancient town in Turkey's Antalya province, to search for her long-lost mother. Accompanying her are three enigmatic ghosts: a Marxist revolutionary, a prostitute, and an ancient priestess.
Emine Yildirim
Emine Yildirim is an award-winning screenwriter and producer. After graduating from Middle East Technical University's Business Administration department, she pursued a career in film, enrolling in Bilgi University's Masters program in Film and Television Studies. She has produced multiple films, including Siren's Call (2018, Main Competition at Tokyo International Film Festival) and The Impeccables (2013, Busan International Film Festival). She also wrote the screenplay for The Impeccables, which earned her the Best Screenplay award at the Ankara International Film Festival. Her directorial debut, Apollo by Day Athena by Night, was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival's Script Station and had its world premiere at the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival, where it won the Asian Future Best Film Award.
BAUS: The Ship's Voyage Continues
Two brothers came to Tokyo, where they unexpectedly became employees at a cinema. From screenings with phonographs to the era of talkies, films evolved. Driven by their pursuit of “tomorrow”, the two brothers founded the BAUS Theater. The theater, which ventured into interesting things regardless of genre, not just films but also rakugo, theater plays, and live performances, was born. In the film, “death” was close at hand but at the same time, "eternity" was also close by. Through economic hardships, golden ages, and wartime adversity, BAUS Theater remains an indomitable beacon of joy and hope for people amidst the torrents of time.
Sora Hokimoto
Sora Hokimoto was born in Japan in 1992 and graduated from the Film and Theatre Department at Tama Art University. While at school, he was influenced by Professor Shinji Aoyama and became acquainted with films. He worked as an assistant to directors including Masashi Yamamoto and Ryosuke Hashiguchi. Sora Hokimoto completed his debut feature film Haruneko in 2016 as a director, screenwriter, and music director, with the help of producers Shinji Aoyama and Takenori Sento. The film was selected for the 46th International Film Festival Rotterdam. In the fall of 2022, his short film Visit Me in My Dreams was selected for the Nippon Cinema Now section of the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival. In 2019, he founded the band Bialystocks and signed with IRORI Records, a new label under the famous Japanese record company Pony Canyon. After the band's debut album, Quicksand, Sora Hokimoto regained popularity as a musician and continued to perform live throughout Japan.
Better Me, Better You
Better Me, Better You, Mahua FunAge's breakthrough film, focuses on female subjects. As the lead actress and producer, Ma Li plays Bai Liping, a caregiver from Northeast China fleeing domestic violence who ventures to the city only to face repeated setbacks. Her life intertwines with that of Tang Shuyin (played by Zhao Shuzhen), an elderly, lonely Beijing widow. Despite their initial clash of perspectives, the two women gradually form an unbreakable bond that blends mother-daughter tenderness with close friendship. The film delves into women's struggles and self-redemption, emerging as a heartfelt ode to female power.
Hao Ming
Hao Ming has a Master's degree in Directing from the Central Academy of Drama and has worked extensively on realistic female-themed dramas, with profound social insights and humanistic care at their core. The works address issues such as women's family trauma, emotional difficulties, and intergenerational conflicts, primarily through humorous narratives that explore gender bias and self-identity. Her main works include stage plays and films. She served as the screenwriter and director of the drama Courtyard Chronicles, which won the outstanding drama award at the closing ceremony of the “Eastward View of Great Theatre” National Drama Exhibition Season and was selected for the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund. She presented the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Crimes of the Heart and directed its Chinese premiere. She directed and wrote the musical Chicken's Revolution, which was selected for the Beijing Fringe Festival. In addition, she also directed the drama Chocolat Piment. At the same time, her major film works include Success and Beauty and Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year.
Li Peiran
Li Peiran graduated from Beijing Film Academy with a master's degree in film studies. He is a director and screenwriter. His creative fields are mainly in film and drama. He excels at identifying individuality and poetic expression in genre narratives, particularly delicate and rich emotions. His major works include the films Silent Summer and Success and Beauty, and the drama Courtyard Chronicles. Among them, Silent Summer was shortlisted for Competition section of the 7th FIRST International Film Festival, and was shortlisted for the 3rd Vancouver Chinese Film Festival in Canada, the 7th International Newcomer Film Festival's “Emerging Director Unit” and the 6th Chinese Youth Generation Film Forum's “Annual Directorial Debut Unit”. The drama Courtyard Chronicles was supported by the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund and won the outstanding drama award at the closing ceremony of the “Eastward View of Great Theatre” Theater Festival.
Deep in the Mountains
The film is set in the early 1990s and follows Yao Sichen, a small-town checkpoint police officer, who becomes entangled in a missing truck case after voiding a traffic ticket. Determined to uncover the truth, he ventures into Maniaohe Village, navigating between truck driver Yang Zhaowei and his daughter Yang Ge, village chief Zhang Changchun, security director Chen Yongjin, serial killers Ge Wenyong and Yan Xue, and others. Through relentless investigation, he eventually uncovers the truth behind several murder cases motivated by greed.
Li Yongyi
Li Yongyi is a Chinese editing supervisor and director with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He currently serves as a Council Member of the China Cinema Editors Association, a Member of the China Film Association, and a mentor for several film festivals. Since 2007, he has collaborated with well-known domestic directors as an editing supervisor. His works include The Dead End and Cock and Bull, both directed by Cao Baoping. The Dead End earned him a Best Editing nomination at the 31st China Film Golden Rooster Awards. Since 2019, he has worked closely with director Zhang Yimou. Since Under the Light, he has continued to collaborate on the film editing of Cliff Walkers, Sniper, Full River Red, and Article 20. He also contributed to the revised edit of One Second. Among these, Cliff Walkers won the Best Editing award at the 15th Asian Film Awards, while Sniper received a Best Editing nomination at the 35th China Film Golden Rooster Awards.
Frieda's Case
In 1904, young seamstress Frieda Keller became a public figure through a high-profile legal case that exposed the deep-seated injustices of patriarchal society. Her case forced male prosecutors to confront personal and professional ethical dilemmas, fundamentally challenging their entrenched notions of morality and gender equality. As the trial progressed, mounting public protests and media scrutiny laid bare the judicial system's discriminatory treatment of women. Frida's fight transcended personal struggle, evolving into a pioneering symbol of resistance that served as a stark mirror reflecting society's hypocrisy and systemic inequality.
Maria Brendle
Maria Brendle is a highly acclaimed female director and screenwriter renowned for her works exploring complex women's issues and multiple award-winning achievements. She earned a 2022 Oscar nomination for her short film Ala Kachuu - Take and Run and is a current member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Maria holds a bachelor's degree in film from Zurich University of the Arts as well as a master's in cognitive neuroscience from Academy of Neuroscience, Cologne, and completed the screenwriting program at Drehbuchwerkstatt Munich. Her works focus on character portrayal and deconstruct sharp social issues with nuanced storytelling, garnering widespread critical acclaim at international film festivals where they have won multiple top awards. Frieda's Case, her feature film debut, is set for a global release in the winter of 2024/25.
In my Parents' House
In her parents' house, Holle's brother Sven has been living in silent isolation for decades. He remains detached from the family's life, seeming to fade away more and more each year. What goes on inside him is a mystery to everyone, and his family has quietly come to terms with the situation - a fragile balance of silence and tolerance. Only Holle is the one who has never fully accepted this situation. Nevertheless, she no longer brings it up, focusing instead on her new calling as a spiritual healer. For the first time, Holle is taking steps toward her own self-fulfillment. But when her mother is unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, the deceptive calm shatters. Holle is increasingly confronted with her brother‘s worsening condition and becomes determined to help him, despite his resistance and the family’s reluctance. While her other siblings look away, Holle senses a far greater crisis looming.
Tim Ellrich
Tim Ellrich was born in 1989 in Osnabrück, Germany. He first studied Philosophy and Theatre, Film, and Media Studies in Vienna before pursuing a degree in Directing at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg. His short films have made their mark at international film festivals, winning many awards, including the Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in France. In 2021, Ellrich's first documentary feature film My Vietnam won the First Steps Award, Germany and attracted continuous attention from mainstream media. In 2023, he won the Wim Wenders Grant, an important award in the German film industry, for his new film project Uncanny Valley. His debut feature film, In my Parents' House, was selected for the Tiger competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and had its world premiere, winning the Special Jury Award.
Loveable
After her husband files for divorce, Maria finds herself abruptly confronted with the collapse of her marriage and the fog of an uncertain future. Lost and adrift, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. After going through difficulties and heartaches, this woman who once gave everything for her family gradually regains the pieces of herself that had been lost between dawn's first light and twilight's fading hues, tracing new life trajectories with a tear-stained brush. As familial bonds woven into a warm embrace cushioned her fall, and the old friend's coffee invitations carried the fragrance of shared history, she realized life's profound truth: only by embracing life's cracks can sunlight penetrate the darkest corners of the soul, allowing her to truly find inner renewal.
Lilja Ingolfsdottir
Lilja Ingolfsdottir is a screenwriter and director who graduated from the London Film School and Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (FAMU). Her debut feature, Loveable, had its world premiere at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it went on to win five awards.
Nawi: Dear Future Me
Based on a prize-winning entry from a national writing competition, Nawi: Dear Future Me tells the story of a young girl from rural Kenya who defies tradition to take control of her future. Nawi dreams of continuing her education in secondary school, but her father, Eree, plans to marry her off to a stranger named Shadrack in exchange for a large dowry of livestock to improve the family's circumstances. Her dream is suddenly shattered - but Nawi refuses to accept a forced marriage. In her fight for freedom, she finds unwavering support from her brother and closest friend, Joel. However, Eree is bound by tribal customs and, under pressure from uncles, stepbrothers, and village elders, insists that the marriage must go ahead. Even Nawi's three mothers, constrained by the roles expected of women, believe that marriage is her destiny. On her wedding night, Nawi makes a bold and life-changing decision…
Tobias Schmutzler and Kevin Schmutzler
Tobias and Kevin have been directing films together since they were young. As part of the millennial generation, the two brothers believe in the power of cinema to drive social change. From documentaries to commercials, their focus has always been narrative-driven films. Their past works include Where the Street Ends, Robin: Watch for Wishes, Über die deutsche Frau, Away, and Biking Borders. In 2017, Tobias and Kevin first traveled to Kenya's Turkana region and returned several times over the years to develop their second feature, Nawi: Dear Future Me.
Apuu Mourine
Born in Turkana, Kenya, Apuu is a musician, designer, and now a first-time filmmaker. Despite opposition from her community and cultural taboos, she began her music career at a young age. As both a storyteller and educator, she is driven by a desire to inspire transformation in her own community - the Turkana people - through music. Nawi: Dear Future Me marks her debut in feature filmmaking and brings together her creative talents, fulfilling a long-held dream and showcasing her voice as both a director and musician.
Vallentine Chelluget
A self-taught director, screenwriter, and producer, Vallentine is behind several acclaimed Kenyan films including Madness, Octori, and Wife for Hire, which was nominated for a Kenyan Film Award. Nawi: Dear Future Me is her first feature-length directorial project, into which she has poured all of her experience and passion for Kenyan cinema.
Shepherds
Mathyas, an aspiring writer, trades his life in Montreal as a young advertising executive for that of a shepherd in the South of France. But the road to his desired pastoral tranquillity is filled with hard work. A visit from Elise, a civil servant who boldly quit her job, gives Mathyas' quest a new direction. Together, they embark on a transhumance. Facing the challenges of the mountains, with a herd to take care of, they will forge a new life for themselves.
Sophie Deraspe
Inspired by visual art and literature, Sophie Deraspe began her career as a screenwriter and director. In 2006, she made her feature film debut with Missing Victor Pellerin, a work marked by a distinctive realist style. Her 2009 film Les Signes Vitaux went on to win over 15 international awards. In 2015, she directed Les Loups and A Gay Girl in Damascus, a fiction feature and a documentary, respectively. Her modern adaptation of Antigone, released in 2019, was a major success, winning Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards and becoming Canada's official submission to the Oscars. In 2021, she directed the six-part series Dark Soul, which was featured in the International Panorama Competition Section of the Series Mania Festival. Her second series, Motel Paradis, aired in 2022. While preparing her upcoming film Shepherds, she also co-wrote and directed the series Ravages, slated to premiere in 2025.
The Great Ambition
As the most influential communist leader in the Western world, Enrico Berlinguer sought to bring the Italian Communist Party to power. From surviving an assassination attempt by Bulgarian secret services in 1973 to the 1978 murder of his key political ally, Prime Minister Aldo Moro, his journey included a visit to Moscow and a moment on the cover of Time magazine. Yet despite his revolutionary ideals and vision to reshape the world, Berlinguer ultimately failed to change the course of history.
Andrea Segre
Andrea Segre is a director and screenwriter of both narrative and documentary films. He holds a PhD in the sociology of communication and is also a co-founder of the film collective Zalab. He has written and directed four narrative features - Io Sono Li, First Snowfall, The Order of Things, and Welcome Venice - which have screened at major festivals such as Venice and received numerous awards. His latest work,The Great Ambition, was selected for the Competition Section at the 19th Rome Film Festival in 2024 and served as the festival’s opening film. Segre's documentaries - including Marghera Canale Nord, La mal'ombra, Come un uomo sulla terra, Magari le cose cambiano, Il sangue verde, Mare Chiuso, Indebito, Come il peso dell'acqua, I sogni del lago salato, Ibi, Molecole, and Trieste Shines at Night - have also been widely recognized, with selections at leading festivals such as Venice, Locarno, and others.
The Message
On the dusty backroads of rural Argentina, a young girl’s gift becomes a means of survival for her opportunistic guardian, who makes a living offering pet psychic readings. Whether it’s magic or a con, one thing is certain: the service is real - and innocence is priceless.
Ivan Fund
Ivan Fund was born in 1984 in San Cristóbal, Argentina. His work has been featured at numerous international film festivals - including Cannes (Un Certain Regard), Venice, Berlin, San Sebastián, Rotterdam, Vienna, London, Busan, Buenos Aires, Lima, and Mar del Plata - and has received a number of awards. In addition to directing his own projects, he also works as a screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, and editor. His screenwriting credits include A School in Bone Hill and The Ant Woman, both selected for the Competition Section of Tiantan Award at the 11th and 14th Beijing International Film Festival, respectively. His latest film, The Message, was selected for the WIP Latam Section of the 2024 San Sebastián International Film Festival and had its world premiere in the Main Competition at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.
The Summer Book
Adapted from Tove Jansson's beloved novel The Summer Book, the film tells a tender story of a nine-year-old girl, Sophia, and her aging grandmother. Sophia is on the cusp of growing up, while her grandmother is quietly approaching the end of her life. Together with Sophia's father, they retreat to a remote island in the Gulf of Finland, where they spend a peaceful summer in seclusion. As the days unfold, they wander the island freely, talking about life, nature, and everything in between - everything, that is, except the grief left by Sophia's mother's passing and the deep love they both keep tucked away. As summer fades, emotional wounds begin to heal, their bond grows stronger, and the grandmother is finally able to let go, at peace.
Charlie McDowell
Charlie McDowell is a British-American filmmaker. His directorial debut, The One I Love, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Best First Screenplay at the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards in 2015. His follow-up feature, The Discovery, also premiered at Sundance, in 2017. He later directed Windfall, which was acquired by Netflix for an eight-figure sum and released on March 18, 2022. In November 2022, McDowell co-founded the production company Case Study Films with Lily Collins and Alex Orlovsky, with the goal of telling compelling and original stories in film and television through a distinct commercial lens. Most recently, the company's project Memory received critical acclaim at the Venice International Film Festival and earned Jessica Chastain a nomination at the 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Trapped
A gang of madmen, a storm of sand, and a stash of cash. The wind is rising - lock your doors, stay quiet, don't move.
A remote border town is thrown into chaos when 44 heavily armed bandits storm in, demanding money and taking lives. Cut off from fuel and communication, the town plunges into panic. With only three local officers and a single gun, it falls to night patrolman Xia Ran (played by Bai Ke) to face off against the escaped gang leader Beishan (played by Xin Baiqing) in a deadly game of cat and mouse. As gunfire echoes through the cliffs and tensions simmer within the gang, a sandstorm brews - and the deadly showdown known as the “Trapped” begins.
Sagara
Sagara is a director and editor with a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the Central Academy of Drama. His editing credits include Hidden Man, Youth, Gone with the Bullets, Only Cloud Knows, and Be Somebody. Trapped marks his directorial debut. For his work on Youth, he was nominated for Best Editing at the 12th Asian Film Awards and was named Cutting-edge Editor of the Year at the 13th Chinese Young Generation Film Forum. He is also the founder of Nurostar, a creative studio whose youth-themed trailer for Youth won Best Foreign Music at the 2018 Golden Trailer Awards (GTA19). In 2024, Nurostar won again at GTA24 with the trailer for The Movie Emperor, awarded Best Foreign Comedy.
Vitrival - The Most Beautiful Village in the World
Benjamin and young Pierre, a pair of cousins, serve as the local police in Vitry-le-Val. They usually patrol the village while listening to Radio Chevalier. There's plenty to keep them busy - like the crude graffiti that's suddenly appeared on walls around town. Naturally, no one saw or heard a thing. Meanwhile, a string of suicides begins to unfold. First one villager, then a second, then a third. As time passes, both the graffiti and the deaths continue to multiply. Benjamin and Pierre launch an investigation. Still, life in the village goes on - festivals are held, and routines remain untouched.
Baptiste Bogaert and Noelle Bastin
Baptiste Bogaert and Noelle Bastin are a Belgian filmmaking duo from Brussels. Noelle, born in 1991, grew up in Vitry-le-Val, Belgium. She studied French and Romance languages and literature, and spent several years teaching French before co-directing their first film, The Schoolyard (2017), with Baptiste. Baptiste was born in 1990 in Charleroi, Belgium. He studied screenwriting at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and later pursued photography at La Cambre, the National School of Visual Arts. He also worked as a project manager in a government office - a seemingly unrelated experience that later inspired their 2019 film Salut Travail. Following their first two films, the pair committed fully to filmmaking. Together, they have directed 6 short, medium-length, and feature films, which have been selected by festivals such as the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Their work has been praised for its hybrid formal style and thoughtful engagement with contemporary issues. They are drawn to real places, events, and people - blending fiction with documentary elements and frequently working with non-professional actors. In addition to writing and directing, they are also hands-on with cinematography and editing.
Vortex
In a remote wilderness, a driver sees a boy standing in the middle of the road and stops. The boy asks for a ride home. On the way, the boy says that he accidentally injures a snake with a sickle while working in his garden and needs honey to heal it. After dropping the boy off, the driver promises to return with honey. However, upon his return, he uncovers stunning revelations that reshape his life and illuminate a profound bond between humanity and nature.
Hadi Mohaghagh
Hadi Mohaghagh was born on July 27, 1978, in Dehdasht, southwestern Iran. In 1990, he began his artistic career as a theater actor and director. By 2000, he transitioned to television, working as an actor, designer, and assistant director. He started producing films for TV in 2010 and debuted as a feature film director with Bardou in 2013. His works have garnered acclaim at several international festivals: In 2022, the Scent of Wind won the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film at the 27th Busan International Film Festival and the Montgolfière d’argent Award of the 3 Continents Festival in France. The film premiered in France in 2023 to critical and commercial success. Here was selected for the Tiantan Award Competition Section at the 9th BJIFF; while Immortal was nominated in the Forward Future Section of the 6th BJIFF.
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