The 14th BJIFF Beijing Film Panorama was officially opened yesterday.

With warm spring breeze, director Sho Miyake’s new film All the Long Nights was screened at the China Film Archive Art Cinema at 9:00AM on April 18, marking the grand opening of the 14th BJIFF Beijing Film Panorama.

　　

Pre-screening event of All the Long Nights

　　

Meet-and-greet with cast & crew of A Long Shot

According to director Gao Peng of the debut feature film, Zu Feng and Qin Hailu are the one and only cast of the leading roles. Quiet, introvert but resilient, Zu Feng brought life to the character Gu Xuebing. In actor Zu Feng’s opinion, Gu Xuebing gets mature late at improper time, and there is an innocent part of the character that he wishes to keep. Actress Qin Hailu delivered an accurate and natural portrayal of Xiaojin. She expressed her appreciation of Xiaojin’s upbeat and pragmatic attitude. Young actor Zhou Zhengjie left himself to the discretion of the film, which director Gao found sincere and invaluable.

　　

Meet-and-greet with cast & crew of A Long Shot

Hopefully, A Long Shot would be well received at the Beijing Film Panorama, and released soon to meet more audience.

　　

Meet-and-greet with cast & crew of A Long Shot

　　

Exclusive Tarantino’s giveaway

The 4K restoration of The Wild, Wild Rose had its premiere in Chinese mainland at 6:00PM at the China Film Archive Art Cinema. A special video message by director Wong Jing, son of the film director Tian-Lin Wang, was replayed prior to the screening. Sam Ho, former programmer of the Hong Kong Film Archive, scholar Joyce Yang and Sha Dan, curator of the Beijing Film Panorama, offered insightful meet-and-greet after the screening.

　　

Meet-and-greet of The Wild, Wild Rose

As Sam Ho explained, the independent and tough leading role played by Grace Chang signifies higher status of actresses in Hong Kong, China, in the 1950s and 1960s, and the modern vibe of the film represents the unique middle class aesthetics of the presenter Cathay Organisation. In Joyce Yang’s opinion, the film stands out for its challenges against traditional Chinese ethics and modern metropolis, and the modernity in the context of traditional Chinese culture is thought-provoking.

　　

Meet-and-greet of The Wild, Wild Rose

Staff of the Hong Kong Film Archive also prepared beautiful folded posters in the lobby of the Art Cinema for ticket holders to queue and collect for free.

　　

Folded poster of The Wild, Wild Rose

The Project A, a latest restoration of Chinese films, was screened at 7:00PM at Wanda Cinema. Ms. Sun Rong, producer of the film, attended the pre-screening event, shared behind-the-scenes details, and introduced the Hong Kong classics 4K restoration project co-initiated by China Film Archive, Douyin and Volcengine.

　　

Pre-screening event of Project A

We are absolutely confident that more restored Hong Kong classics will make more surprise appearances. Those who failed to grab its tickets don’t be upset. The 4K restoration of the classic The Contract from Hong Kong, China, will have its world premiere at the BJIFF. Don’t miss them.

　　

Pre-screening event of Project A

The Japanese film SEPTEMBER 1923 hosted meet-and-greet at 7:00PM at Beijing Wanda Cinema, during which director Tatsuya Mori and producer Sanshirô Kobayashi appeared and enjoyed in-depth and amicable conversations with film fans.

　　

Meet-and-greet with the cast & crew of SEPTEMBER 1923

The film SEPTEMBER 1923 was nominated for the Best Picture and Best Director at the 47th Japan Academy Film Prize. While interacting with the audience, director Tatsuya Mori emphasized the importance of “bystander” in the film, and noted that people are often bystanders in current society, and it’s worth thinking how they live and make their voices heard.

　　

Director Tatsuya Mori

Producer Sanshirô Kobayashi talked about the original aspiration and difficulties in making the film. As he pointed out, despite its happening over a century ago, it’s paramount to present the history as it is in a respectful way. He also emphasized, in order to do so, they amplified the voices of those implicated in the disaster so that those forgotten names and voices are made seen again.

We believe the screening of SEPTEMBER 1923 at the BJIFF will provoke wider discussions and thinking.

　　

Meet-and-greet with the cast & crew of SEPTEMBER 1923

Director Daigo Matsui’s latest film Undead Lovers, whose tickets were sold out very shortly, had its world premiere at the BJIFF at 7:30PM.

　　

Director Daigo Matsui

Director Daigo Matsui is an old friend of the BJIFF. His films, including Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops, Just Remembering and Hand were screened at previous editions of the Beijing Film Panorama.

　　

Meet-and-greet with the cast & crew of Undead Lovers

Director Daigo Matsui and leading actor Yuzu Aoki attended the meet-and-greet at the Shenying International Cinema tonight. In terms of the romance adapted based on a manga series, the cast & crew shared why the male and female leading roles were switched, and director’s filmmaking experience in different films. Yuzu Aoki talked about differences of his two collaborations with the director. We look forward to more outstanding films by the cast & crew members in future.

　　

Meet-and-greet with the cast & crew of Undead Lovers

The Launch Ceremony of the 14th BJIFF XR Beijing was successfully concluded on April 17 on 1F, former site of Hongqing Building on Qianmen Street, No. 6 Xinchao Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing.

　　

Poster of the XR Beijing

At the Launch Ceremony, Lin Siwei, Deputy Secretary-General of the BJIFF Organizing Committee, Deputy Head of the China Film Archive and Deputy Director of the China Film Art Research Center, looked back on the fast development of the XR Section in the past 6 years, and expected that more outstanding XR works would be showcased in Beijing, the cultural center, so that the audience has a more diverse range of choices with richer content.

　　

Launch Ceremony of the XR Beijing

The 14th BJIFF XR Beijing is opening from April 18 to -27 at the former site of Hongqing Building on Qianmen Street, during which 19 works from a dozen of countries and regions are screened. While immersed in those works, we can look back and forward on infinite possibilities of cinematic development.

　　

XR Beijing