Only those who have deep respect for the art of film, who have tireless endeavor in the industry, and who have made significant contributions to the continuous prosperity and development of the art of film with their craftsmanship can be called film masters. The 14th BJIFF Workshop & Masterclass specially will invite Ann Hui, the renowned director and producer from Hongkong, China, who has always insisted on "making films heart and soul", to discuss the contemporary and pioneering nature behind her films with the theme “A History of Creation -- Independent Female Filmmakers”. 

　　Ann Hui Workshop & Masterclass

The special guest moderator of this Workshop & Masterclass is Dai Jinhua, professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Peking University, Director of the Center for Film and Cultural Research Center, and doctoral supervisor. Prof. Dai has been a close friend of director Ann Hui for many years and has attended many of her academic seminars.

　　Prof. Dai Jinhua, special guest moderator

The panelist is Vivian Qu, a director, screenwriter and producer, whose film Angels Wear White has won high praises and was nominated for the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. The three guests will have an in-depth discussion about the creative experiences and insights of female independent filmmakers.

　　Vivian Qu, panelist. 

Ann Hui's first film Crazy Disaster in 1979 is one of the masterpieces of the Hong Kong New Wave film movement. Since then, she has always been able to capture social changes and human society with a delicate female perspective, which can constantly arouse the audience's emotional resonance. Ann Hui has been awarded with Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Director many times with her films Boat People, Summer Snow, The Way We Are, A Simple Life, The Golden Era and Our Time Will Come. She is the only director who has won the honor six times. 

Hong Kong’s films are often known as "excessive exaggeration and crazy", but Ann Hui's films are like a stream of fresh water. She uses her unique film language to present another side of Hong Kong society. Her films focus on the ordinary people from a realist perspective, but also get integrated with her humanistic concerns with a poetic romanticism. She has always maintained her passion and perseverance for the films and the life. 

　　A Still of Summer Snow

Influenced by traditional classical works since her childhood, Ann Hui has always been fascinated by literature and it has been the focus of her creative works to abstract materials from classic literature, such as Love in a Fallen City, Eighteen Springs and Love After Love. She favors the literary works by Eileen Chang and she is also keen on exploring women's emotions with her stories. The film, The Golden Era, based on the biography of writer Xiao Hong is her another masterpiece combining literature and women's themes in the past years. 

　　Ann Hui at the filming site of The Golden Era

Known as "the director with longest walk" in Hong Kong, China, Ann Hui often visits the urban streets in her spare time to observe the social life of the grassroots. In her films such as A Simple Life, The Way We Are, Summer Snow, The Postmodern Life of My Aunt, she always focuses her camera on the women in urban life, which stirs up a lot of emotions. Ann Hui also focuses on grand historical and social issues. The film, Our Time Will Come, presents the heroes during the Anti-Japanese War, the films Woo Yuet's Story and Boat People pay attention to the theme of Vietnamese refugees. For the filmmakers of Hong Kong, China, Ann Hui is a pioneer in broadening the boundaries of cinematic expression.

　　Life photo of Ann Hui 

Ann Hui's films are also highly regarded in the international film industry. Her films such as Summer Snow were nominated at the Berlin International Film Festival and her film, A Simple Life, won great honors at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2020, she was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice International Film Festival, becoming the world’s first female director winning this honor.  

　　Cate Blanchett presents award to Ann Hui

As a female filmmaker also, Vivian Qu, the panelist of this Workshop & Masterclass, has always insisted on her independent film creations just like director Ann Hui. Vivian Qu is not only a producer but also a director. She served as the producer of the films Night Train, Knitting, and Black Coal, Thin Ice which won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Apart from working as a producer, she has also made her contributions in the field of directing. She served as the director in many outstanding films such as Trap Street and Angels Wear White. Vivian Qu has switched between her dual identities as both a producer and a director with great success. 

　　Vivian Qu at the Venice International Film Festival 

The participation of film scholar, Dai Jinhua, will provide the Workshop & Masterclass with another interpretation perspective apart from the creation. Dai Jinhua has been called a "pioneer in Chinese film studies and feminist studies", and she once used three "uniqueness" to describe director Ann Hui in a symposium on her works: She is the only main general of the first wave of the Hong Kong New Wave film movement, who has been persistent in it till the end; She is the only female director who is very prolific with continuous creations within the scope of Chinese-language films; She is the only director of Hong Kong, China who took the initiative to overflow the geographical, political and historical boundaries of Hong Kong, China, produce films to express the lives of the grassroots in Chinese mainland. In the Workshop & Masterclass, Prof. Dai Jinhua will discuss the writing of women's images in Ann Hui's films from the broader perspectives from the society, the culture and the film theories.  

　　Dai Jinhua (second from right) attends seminar on the films of Ann Hui (second from left) 

From the pioneering film Crazy Disaster to the humanistic film A Simple Life, director Ann Hui has always insisted on her creative independence to provide the films of Hong Kong, China with a "literary" perspective different from that of the classic action films, and make significant contributions to the development of multiple genres and high-quality creations of Chinese-language films. In this Workshop & Masterclass, director Ann Hui will lead the audience to look back on her creative career of more than 40 years and share her experience in independent film production, please stay tuned! 

　　Life photo of Ann Hui 

The Workshop & Masterclass sincerely invites friends from various film and television organizations, professional colleges and universities, as well as all walks of life who are concerned about the BJIFF. Please scan the QR code below and fill out the questionnaire to register for the 14th BJIFF Workshop & Masterclass. The deadline is April 16, 2024 and please register now for the limited places! 

　　More information about Workshop & Masterclass 

　　Tel: 85336467 13962880581