As a distinguished filmmaker in the domestic film market renowned for literary depth and genre innovation, Dong Runnian has been carving a unique path between commercial genre films and auteur expressions through his incisive social insights and meaningful storytelling style. The 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) officially announces that Dong Runnian, director & screenwriter of critically acclaimed works such as Gone with the Light and Johnny Keep Walking!, which sparked widespread societal discourse, will serve as the Final Jury for the 15th BJIFF Project Pitches. 

Throughout his creative journey, Dong Runnian has honed a distinctive approach to dissecting social issues via absurdist techniques. Key milestones in his career: In 2013, he co-wrote the comedy film The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel with director Guan Hu, featuring sharp satire and in-depth analysis of human nature with critical acclaim; in 2015, he penned the screenplay for Mr. Six using Beijing-flavored narrative and generational conflicts to mirror the contemporary China; in 2019, he co-wrote Crazy Alien, which fused sci-fi comedy with grassroots storytelling to critique power dynamics through extraterrestrial allegory; also in 2019, his directorial debut Gone with the Light arose social concerns for expounding emotional dilemmas in a sci-fi framework with absurdist premises to explore marital truths; in 2013, he wrote and directed Johnny Keep Walking!, a dark horse among the New Year's matrix that resonated nationwide with its sense of humor as “survival guide for workers”, achieving breakthroughs in artistic expression and commercial value. These works validate his acute comprehension of market sensibilities and exemplify his commitment to embedding intellectual depth within genre frameworks. 

A still from Johnny Keep Walking!

While deepening his creative practice, Dong Runnian has remained committed to nurturing fresh talent for the industry. His collaboration with the BJIFF has been extensive. He has served multiple times as a mentor for BJIFF Project Pitches, guiding emerging filmmakers in refining emotional arcs and enriching character dimensions. In 2020, he acted as a Project Pitches trainer for the Beijing Film Market of the 10th BJIFF. While supporting project incubation, he shared his insights in the forum “Persistence and Exploration: The New Journey of Chinese Cinema in the New Era” around “Young Filmmakers and Genre Exploration” and “Young Filmmakers and Artistic Expression”, with an aim to inject fresh passion, creative vitality, and perspectives into the future of China's film industry. In 2021, his directorial debut Gone with the Light won the Best Directorial Debut at the 28th Beijing College Student Film Festival. In 2024, he was honored as the Best Screenplay at the Beijing College Student Film Festival for Johnny Keep Walking!. He also joined the “Creation Forum: The Excellence and Diversity of Film Creation”, sharing insights from his five-year journey of crafting Johnny Keep Walking!. Additionally, he also played a part in the screenwriting dialogues at the Beijing Film Market, where he exchanged perspectives with young filmmakers on creative challenges, current industry trends, and genre innovation. 

From a golden-award screenwriter to genre film innovator, Dong Runnian has been seeking a balance between intellectual sharpness and market adaptability in his works. Serving as a jury member for the 15th BJIFF Project Pitches, he will leverage his acute sense of social sentiments and genre-driven storytelling expertise to guide emerging filmmakers in striking a balance between recreation and social critique. In the current landscape where the film market craves “high-concept yet down-to-earth” style, Dong’s participation is poised to bring pitching projects with nuanced observations on nuances and innovative narrative techniques, thus infusing more modern elements into China's film industry.