Beijing International Film Festival Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary
- Callee Fair
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Beijing International Film Festival kicked off on Friday, April 18th with glitz, glamor, and pouring rain. The soaking conditions did not stop the celebrations of 130 years since the Lumière brothers’ first ever film screening, 120 years since China’s “The Battle of Dingjunshan,” and commemorating 15 years of the festival’s historical mark in Chinese cinema.
Celebrating cinema and specifically, recognizing women in cinema has always set this festival apart from the others. This year is its 6th year including the specialized section “Women’s Voices”, highlighting both established and emerging female directors’ work.
When creating this added section for the festival, they called attention to the importance in women’s stories: “In recent years, female creators and their stories have continued to emerge, and the voices of women on screen have become more diverse and powerful…These works continue to break boundaries in form and theme, bringing us richer and more multidimensional female expressions.”
The festival also features a section dedicated to up and coming female directors “Newher” and “Be Seen” Youth Actors Support Program, including 30 aspiring performers mentored by iconic figures like director Li Shaohong and acting coach Zhang Hua.
President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Janet Yang, welcomed everyone with an inspirational speech on the opening night, talking about the “universal language” of film. Yang stated in Mandarin, “Film is the most universal language to connect the world,” before switching to English describing her journey in the industry. “I first fell in love with Chinese cinema through the works of the ‘Fifth Generation’ filmmakers. Their films felt like poetry, quiet and reflective.”
Being a Chinese-American producer, Yang expressed how important it is to exchange between two of the biggest film markets in the world. “My personal and professional experiences tell me that film has a unique power to bring people together, and that is why I remain perpetually optimistic about cultural exchange between not only our two nations but amongst everyone, everywhere in the world.”
Yang talked about the recent successes of films celebrating Chinese culture, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” winning best picture Oscars and scoring seven nominations, while “Past Lives” and “Minari” both earned best picture nominations. She spoke of Guan Hu’s “Black Dog” winning the Un Certain Regard award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, and receiving critical acclaim, sparking notable recognition for Chinese films.
“These films prove that audiences don’t need to fully understand a culture to be moved by it. Authenticity and specificity invite connection,” Yang exclaimed. “For Chinese filmmakers, this is an amazing opportunity to go global, to collaborate internationally, to get films out into the international marketplace, and perhaps to work with those from our diaspora to tell nuanced stories that elevate Chinese representation and deepen the global impact.”
The red carpet featured some high-profile actors and filmmakers in the industry, including British director David Yates of “Harry Potter”. Chinese actors included Zhang Yuqi, Tan Zhuo, Wang Yang, Song Shuting, Liu Jiayuan, Zhang Dage, Yang Huiqing, Fu Jing, Zhao Shuzhen, Liu Yichun, and Liu Meihan, with Xu Weizhou, Wang Dongcheng, Liu Guanyou, Pan Binlong, Qiao Shan, Wang Yanhui, Wang Duofei, Zhou You, and Zhou Yiran.
The star-studded jury is led by Chinese actor-director Jiang Wen and includes Chinese American actor Joan Chen, Chinese actor Ni Ni, Finnish filmmaker Teemu Nikki, Swiss actor-director Vincent Perez and Hong Kong production designer Tim Yip.
Official Selection of the Tianton Award
Frieda's Case, Maria Brendle
Trapped, Sagara
Better Me, Better You, Hao Ming and Li Peiran
Deep in the Mountains, Li Yongyi
Apollon by Day Athena by Night, Emine Yildirim
BAUS: The Ship's Voyage Continues, Hokimoto
In My Parents’ House, Tim Ellrich
Loveable, Lilja Ingolfsdottir
Nawi: Dear Future Me, Tobias Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine, and Vallentine Chelluget
Shepards, Sophie Deraspe
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