In April this year, Brazil was the Guest of Honor at the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF). This time, the BJIFF also collaborated closely with the São Paulo Chinese Film Exhibition, specially establishing the "Tiantan Image" section. This section featured three films that had either been nominated or won the Tiantan Award: Gold or Shit, Off the Stage, and Kong and Jigme, marking the official launch of the"Tiantan Image" Global Tour this year.

"Film is a national and ethnic image card, and it is always a window that allows us to see the distant horizon and for others to see us," said Professor Dai Jinhua from Peking University, who taught a Chinese film appreciation class at the exhibition. "For cultural exchange, film is the best gift and the best choice."

"Tiantan Image" is a new initiative by the BJIFF to promote the overseas dissemination of Chinese cinema. The project aims to bring Chinese cultural stories to the world through the art of film.  It will collaborate with internationally renowned film festivals, covering at least seven countries and regions. Through close cooperation with these global platforms, the BJIFF hopes to use film as a medium to showcase the diversity and depth of Chinese cinema to international audiences. The goal is to bridge the psychological distance between overseas viewers and Chinese culture, allowing Chinese stories to be better heard and appreciated around the world.

"Film has allowed me to understand the social phenomena of China's new generation. The humor and emotions of a Chinese family's daily life deeply resonated with me. More important than family issues is the significance of a person as an individual," said Marcia Carini, after watching Gold or Shit, the winner of this year's Tiantan Award, in an interview with reporters. In her view, film is a gateway to a country's culture. Although China and Brazil are far apart, film can bridge the distance between people.

Luís Paulino, the Director of the Confucius Institute at São Paulo State University, stated that film is an important form of cultural exchange between China and Brazil. "The two cultural symbols are like two candles lit in the same space. One culture does not steal the light of the other; it only fills the space with more light. Therefore, the more cultures intertwine, the richer they become, and the more people can understand each other. People become more tolerant and friendly, and the world becomes more peaceful."

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Yu Peng, the Consul General of China in São Paulo, noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. He expressed hope that the two countries will "use film as a medium" to carry out broader and closer cultural and artistic exchanges and cooperation.

Yu Peng, Consul General of China in São Paulo, delivering a speech at the São Paulo Chinese Film Exhibition