By Li Zhenran, researcher of Chinese and foreign film and television cooperation and special commentator with Panview
The Sixth Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) is set to kick off on April 16 to 23 with 15 films competing for Tiantan Award. The opening ceremony will be held on April 16 at Yanqi Lake International Convention Center, a northern suburb of Beijing.
Sponsored by The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and Beijing Municipal Government, this year's film festival includes more than 200 events, including opening and closing ceremonies, theme forums, Beijing Film Panorama, industrial dialogues and new film releases.
As host of the 2016 Tiantan Award, BTV will integrate the Tiantan Award with its content creation, and distribution channels that adhere to the values of "Beauty in Variety, Harmony in Diversity," and extend the good reputation and brand influence of Tiantan Award with an international vision and professional standards.
Brett Ratner, American producer of this year's Oscar awarded nominee "The Revenant", will be the jury's president.
Other judges are Donnersmarck, German director, Henckel von Corneliu Porumboiu, Romanian director, Florian Yojiro Takita, Japanese director, Danis Tanovic, Bosnian and Herzegovinan director, Teddy Chan, Chinese director from Hong Kong, and Xu Qing, Chinese actress.
The Selection Competition Department has reviewed 433 films from 42 countries and regions on six continents, including 230 international films and 203 domestic films.
Participating films offer rich themes, various types, diverse styles, and significantly improved quality than the past. 15 films were selected to compete for the Tiantan Award.
BJIFF is gaining momentum. It has been held annually since 2011. Compared with other prevalent international film festivals, BIFF stands out as young, but with huge potential, especially when many older film festivals seem to have hit their zenith and are headed downhill in prestige.
Alongside China's economic strength and international influence, the domestic film industry is growing rapidly.
In 2015 when the 5th BJIFF was held, China had become the world's second largest film market, where many international stars and influential film makers from Europe and Asia are expected to opening ceremonies and make red carpet entrances.
As the capital city of China, Beijing is not only the center of politics but a cultural hub, with the strongest professional film makers, best film academies and institutions, the most film production companies and studios in the nation.
Younger than the Changchun and Shanghai international film festivals, BJIFF has enjoyed an unparalleled advantages to become the "tycoon" of China's international film festivals.
BIFF has provided a platform for domestic and overseas film makers. Hundreds of movies would contend for the entry competition, panorama, selection and awarding rounds of the Beijing Film Academy. Directors, senior or young, can absorb bountiful experiences.
Each year, BJIFF would organize theme forums where international creators could talk face-to-face about the film industry. Such discussions spark new works and form deeper cooperation. BIFF provides a film banquet for the people.
During the Beijing Film Panorama, 500 films selected by the judges will be put forward for the public, which include classic domestic and foreign movies, as well as new productions. This is why it's so hard to get tickets for hot films. Beijingers call it "a film feast at their doorstep."
Li Zhenran, researcher of Chinese and foreign film and television cooperation and special commentator with Panview
( The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )
Panview offers an alternative angle on China and the rest of the world through the analyses and opinions of experts. We also welcome outside submissions, so feel free to send in your own editorials to "globalopinion@vip.cntv.cn" for consideration.
