Forward Future
Béla Tarr to Serve as President of the International Jury for the 15th BJIFF's Forward Future Section
The 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) has officially announced that renowned Hungarian director, screenwriter, and producer Béla Tarr will serve as the President of the International Jury for this year's Forward Future Section.
Béla Tarr, Jury President
of the International Jury of the 15th BJIFF Forward Future Section
Béla Tarr
From being hailed as the “ultimate auteur” to “the last modernist”, Béla Tarr has carved out a unique place in world cinema with his minimalist aesthetics, profound philosophical depth, and signature long-take cinematography. Over his rich and varied career, he has not only received numerous international awards and accolades, but also become a bridge connecting Hungarian and international cinematic arts.
Béla Tarr
Hailed as the soul of the “Hungarian New Filmic Wave”, Béla Tarr's name has always been closely tied to classic moments in film history. From documentary-style realism to more modernist cinematic practices, his works are renowned for their stark black-and-white imagery, poetic narrative structures, and profound social critique.
The 1988 film Kárhozat marked the first complete expression of Béla Tarr's distinctive personal style - contemplative black-and-white imagery, meticulously choreographed long takes, hypnotic pacing, and a mysterious narrative interwoven with a sense of urgency and doom. His magnum opus, Sátántangó (1994), is a seven-hour epic that delves into the collapse of humanity and faith, tackling bleak philosophical themes such as the absence of authority and the prevalence of nihilism.
In 2011, Béla Tarr's film A Torinói Ló won the Jury Grand Prix-Silver Bear and the FIPRESCI Prize as the best film in the Competition unit at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, while also receiving a nomination for the Golden Bear of the Main Competition unit. Rooted in Nietzschean philosophy, the film uses minimalist cinematography to reflect the existential dilemmas of human civilization. Béla Tarr's rigorous approach to art imbues the film with a sense of sublime discipline, making its intensity and defiance an awe-inspiring experience for viewers.
“Film is not about storytelling, it is about images, sound, and a multitude of emotions.” In his works, we can witness an egalitarian inquiry into humanity and all living beings; Through his cinematic grammar, time is given a sculptural weight. On an artistic level, he is a well-deserved master.
Béla Tarr is not only an exceptional director but also an educator dedicated to nurturing young filmmakers. In 2024, the 37th Tokyo International Film Festival announced that it would award Béla Tarr the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dubbed the “philosopher-poet of cinema” and the “last true master of filmmaking”, no amount of praise can fully encapsulate his profound influence on contemporary filmmakers and his relentless exploration of film aesthetics and social themes. This time, as he joins the international jury of the Forward Future Section, he will bring his keen artistic insight to support global emerging filmmakers in exploring the infinite possibilities of cinematic creation.