The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) commenced on Jun. 14 in Shanghai, with 49 works shortlisted for this year’s Golden Goblet Awards.
Jury Led by Giuseppe Tornatore
The festival, featuring over 400 domestic and international films screened across Shanghai, will run till June 22. Twelve films from Asia, Europe, and Latin America headline the main competition. The Jury is led by renowned Italian film director and screenwriter Giuseppe Tornatore.
Celebrities lit up the red carpet at the Shanghai Grand Theater on Jun. 14, showcasing their latest film projects to eager movie fans. The spotlight was initially on the stellar cast of the opening film, She’s Got No Name, led by director Peter Ho-Sun Chan.
The production team of The Lychee Road, a film adapted from a popular novel, led by writer, director, and lead actor Da Peng, made a collective appearance on the red carpet, further enhancing the festival’s glamor.
Cultural Connector Between East and West
Chen Guo, managing director of Shanghai International Film & TV Events Center, says SIFF has positioned itself as a cultural connector between East and West through its diverse programming strategy.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. Film Panorama will initiate a special section titled “Resonance: A Brief Encounter of Chinese and World Cinema,” emphasizing mutual learning and growth between Chinese and international film industries.
“The curation this year has tried to cover both the classic masterpieces in the history of Chinese and foreign cinema and the avant-garde works with pioneering concepts,” Chen says.
Meanwhile, the popular “Cannes Zero Time Difference” section gathers eight titles including “Young Mother’s Home,” “Renoir,” and “Rainbow,” while all-time classics like “Sunset Boulevard” and “Barry Lyndon” appear in sections like “Tribute to Masters” and “Midnight Surprise.”
The screening section, which will run all week, will also feature renowned filmmakers from Japan, Thailand, and other countries, showcasing diverse cultural perspectives rooted in Asia, ranging from Japanese idol culture to Thai poetic aesthetics, allowing the world to witness the emerging talents of Asia, and embracing global cinematic trends.
Chen sees contemporary Chinese filmmaking at an inflection point. “In recent years, with the sensation caused by Chinese-language films such as ‘Ne Zha’ on the international stage, the Chinese film industry has garnered increasing attention,” she observes. SIFF’s role as “a significant film festival in China and Asia, has also played an important role in bridging Eastern and Western civilizations.”
Written by Yetao Gu, additional reporting by China Daily, Xinhua and Variety.
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