Embracing New Voices on Screen: BJIFF "Most Anticipated Young Directors' Works" Recommendation Gala Concludes Successfully
On the evening of April 19, the Recommendation Gala for "Most Anticipated Young Directors' Works", one of the key activities of the Beijing Film Market section of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), was held at T-Field, Langyuan Station, Chaoyang District, Beijing. The event gathered representatives from cinemas, major film companies, young directors, and media to witness the stunning debut and exciting recommendations of 9 Most Anticipated Young Directors' Works. This year's gala focused on the creative potential of young directors, showcasing the power and diverse expressions of China's new generation of filmmakers through trailers and interviews with the cast & crew.
At the event, young directors took the stage one by one to introduce their works and share their creative journeys and core concepts.
Cast & crew of Keep the Beat
As the recipient of the Excellent Project Pitches Award at the 11th BJIFF Project Pitches, the film Keep the Beat kicked off the Film Recommendation Gala with its unique approach of counting numbers. The cast & crew explained, "This is a blend of light comedy and suspense film. How to connect emotionally with the audience and draw them to the cinema has always been our focus."
Cast & crew of I Grass I Love
The title of I Grass I Love immediately captured the audience's attention. Director Chen Xiaoliang said, "In this road comedy, we break the stereotype of comedy films by shooting the magnificent landscapes of our country. We look forward to taking everyone on a journey to the horizon to find love."
Cast & crew of Tashi
Film: Tashi was the only Tibetan-themed film of the night and also the recipient of the MPA Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the 14th BJIFF's Project Pitches. The cast & crew noted, "This is a healing film about children's growth. Unlike other Tibetan-themed films, it has a communal and universal appeal, deeply connecting human emotions and the bond between people and the land."
Cast & crew of The Lord Of Weddings
Director Zhang Dapeng of the comedy The Lord of Weddings promoted the film in a stand-up comedy style. He shared his creative insights, "In today's world, instead of focusing on data and algorithms, we should abandon old methodologies. The genre of the film is not important because you never know what the audience will like next. But I know that the next great film will always be bold, innovative, sincere, and candid. Just like the theme short film of this year's BJIFF, A Thank You Letter from Films, which I also directed, it shows that film comes from life and affects everyone."
Cast & crew of My Father's Son
Film: My Father's Son, with over twenty years of creative accumulation, presents a cross-temporal dialogue with the father. The cast & crew noted that this Chinese sci-fi film abandons the traditional grand narrative of the West, instead approaching from a unique Chinese perspective that emphasizes human emotions, bringing a sense of romantic poetry unique to the East.
Cast & crew of The Adventure
Time travel is a major highlight of the fantasy comedy The Adventure. Director Ma Duo introduced that in the film The Adventure, the cast & crew tried to create a dream for the audience through time travel, allowing them to experience the subtle romance in everyday life with laughter.
Cast & crew of The Lost Daughter
The Lost Daughter is a touching work centered around a girl breaking the cycle of fate. Director Zang Lianrong expressed his love for BJIFF while deeply exploring social issues such as intergenerational transmission and family bonds. "We received the Project with the Most Investment Value Award at last year's BJIFF Project Pitches. I've been to many film festival's project pitches, and I feel that BJIFF is especially warm and sincere."
Cast & crew of Good Job!
The presentation of the comedy Good Job! brought the lively atmosphere to a climax. The workplace comedy Good Job! focuses particularly on the young professional crowd. The cast & crew described it as "a transformation journey of young talents in big companies", hoping to offer audiences a fresh perspective on what constitutes a good job.
Cast & crew of Malice
The suspense film Malice, as the closing recommendation of the evening, attracted widespread attention. The cast & crew said that a suspense film needs to be rooted in reality to be more powerful. Malice is like a large-scale social experiment where anyone could be the source of malice.
All the recommended works together created a splendid cinematic feast. Suspense films captivated the audience with their ingenious storytelling, comedies burst with laughter, sci-fi films took viewers on time-traveling journeys with their imaginative creativity, and Tibetan-themed films offered unique cultural perspectives. The diverse genres perfectly met the viewing expectations of contemporary audiences, jointly painting a rich picture of Chinese films.
Although the Recommendation Gala has come to a successful conclusion, the exciting shows are just beginning! These eye-catching works are set to shine on the big screen, and the creative young directors, armed with their "magic wands", are infusing Chinese films with fresh vitality. Let's wait and see how they will use their lenses to capture the wonderful stories of this era when the films are released!
