15 years, 180 months, 5,475 days, or 131,400 hours. Over 15 years of constant change in nature, saplings have grown into forests and soil has accumulated to form mountains. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), a time to reflect on past accomplishments and a fresh start for the BJIFF Project Pitches. What has not changed is the BJIFF Project Pitches' original intention of helping young filmmakers "bring a story and leave with a film". Let us flip through the memoirs of the BJIFF Project Pitches and revisit the moments we shared with these young filmmakers.

　　

In 2012, during the second BJIFF, the Project Pitches section was officially established.

In 2013, the project My Beloved Bodyguard, written by Jiang Jun, won the "Special Honor" at the BJIFF Project Pitches. Directed and starring the renowned actor Sammo Hung, the film achieved a box office revenue of 323 million yuan.

　　

Poster of My Beloved Bodyguard

From 2014 to 2015, the BJIFF Project Pitches incubated projects such as Mountain Cry directed by Yang Zi, as well as Seventy-Seven Days and Till The End of the World, which received attention and love from both the market and audiences.

　　

　　

　　

Posters of Mountain Cry, Seventy-Seven Days, and Till The End Of The World

In 2016, Director Yu Qing participated in the 6th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches with his work Iron Fighter and received the "Outstanding Project Pitches Award". He directed several works afterwards, among which the online series Mystery of Antiques (adapted from Ma Boyong's novel of the same name) garnered acclaim from audiences.

　　

Poster of Mystery of Antiques

In 2017, Suburban Birds was unveiled at the BJIFF Project Pitches. This was the feature film debut of young director Qiu Sheng. In 2018, the film was nominated for the Golden Leopard Award in the Filmmakers of the Present section of the 71st Locarno International Film Festival, as well as the Special Jury Award in the main competition section of the San Francisco Film Festival, making it a highly anticipated and celebrated work of art-house cinema at the time.

　　

Poster of Suburban Birds

In 2018, Gu Xiaogang brought Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains to the BJIFF Project Pitches, and the platform subsequently helped the director and his film reach Cannes. The film was selected as the closing film for the 58th Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in France on January 1, 2020.

　　

Poster of Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains

In the same year, Liang Ming's debut film as writer and director, Wisdom Tooth, told a story set in a small northern border town during the harsh winter of 1999, bringing the wintry landscapes of northern China to the BJIFF Project Pitches. The film was shortlisted for the main competition section of the 15th Osaka Asian Film Festival and won Best Director in the Fei Mu Awards at the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival.

　　

Poster of Wisdom Tooth

In 2019, the BJIFF Project Pitches introduced a new category for WIP (work-in-progress) projects. Summer Detective directed by Xu Lei, Summer Arousal, Damp Season and other excellent WIP projects participated in the BJIFF Project Pitches. All three films have since been released, with positive market reviews.

　　

　　

　　

In 2020, the number of submissions to the BJIFF Project Pitches exceeded 800. Out of 829 projects, The Cord of Life was selected as the "Jury Special Recommendation Project" and made the shortlist for the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival's Asian Future section. The film was released in March 2023.

　　

Poster of The Cord of Life

Director Bai Zhiqiang brought Like Father And Son to the 10th BJIFF Project Pitches, where it won the honor of "Excellent WIP Project". The film was released in February 2023 and won the Best Children's Film at the 36th China Golden Rooster Awards.

　　

Poster of Like Father And Son

In 2021, the BJIFF Project Pitches achieved remarkable success. After years of development, the script project Keep the Beat officially began filming in Wuhan in 2024. Meanwhile, WIP projects, such as One and Four, Football on the Roof, Till Love Do Us Part, Summer Diary and Away From Home have all made their way to the big screen, earning widespread acclaim.

　　

　　

　　

　　

　　

　　

Posters of Keep the Beat, One and Four, Football on the Roof, Till Love Do Us Part, Summer Diary, and Away From Home

In 2022, the BJIFF Project Pitches underwent another upgrade, expanding the number of final jury members from three to five for the first time. Derek Yee, a Hong Kong director, chaired the jury, providing young filmmakers with more professional and sincere advice. The project Northern Raiment, Northern River has completed production, and The Absent, Where Echoes Never End and Undoing Time have premiered at major domestic film festivals, achieving remarkable results.

Chinatown Cha-Cha, which won the honor of "Project with the Most Investment Value" in 2023, was released in November 2024 and earned a high score of 8.4 on Douban. The Dreamer and The Jungle and The Land in the River have both completed post-production.

　　

　　

　　

Posters of Chinatown Cha-Cha, The Dreamer and The Jungle, and The Land in the River 

In 2024, the BJIFF Project Pitches introduced the Beijing Publicity and Culture Guidance Fund for the first time. With the support of the BJIFF Organizing Committee, six projects successfully secured funding, receiving a total of one million yuan in grants. The projects All's Well, My Strange Family and The Man Without Desire have found main investment companies and are in active preparation. No Girl No Life officially started filming in June 2024. Tashi, My Way and The Lost Daughter have completed post-production.

　　

　　

　　

　　

　　

　　

Posters of All's Well, My Strange Family, The Man Without Desire, Tashi, My Way, and The Lost Daughter

In 2025, the "Dream-Making Machine" of the BJIFF Project Pitches continues to soar, carrying high expectations for young filmmakers while awaiting the convergence of new forces. By then, the spacecraft will have landed in the fertile creative soil of "Next Frame Space", allowing every young filmmaker to fulfill their dream of "bring a story and leave with a film".

　　

There are 7 days left to submit for the 15th BJIFF Beijing Film Market Project Pitches. If you also want to turn your story into a film, bring your project and join the film party! Tap "Read more" to participate in Project Pitches registration.

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Consultation Email: projectpitches@bjiff.com

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