The final-round Project Pitching of the 10th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) took place on August 25 in Beijing. At present, online negotiations are available, and investors can conduct individual project meetings concerning the 20 pitching projects and 8 WIP projects shortlisted in the final round and negotiations.
For the enlisted projects, creators born in the 1990s stood out, while more female creators were qualified to make presentations for the review. Besides, animated, fantastic, dialectic and comic elements as well as female themes have witnessed a remarkable increase than previous sessions. Moreover, the creative scope of young screenwriters and directors is no longer merely limited to self-expression, but more diversified attempts have been made in film genres, covering different fields such as science fiction and fantasy, suspense crime, black humor and documentary among others.
-Projects Shortlisted for Project Pitching-
-Winter Pasture-
Feature film Family
Storyline: A Kazakh man wandering in the city has no choice but to return to his hometown after a long time. Slowly, he recovers the warm relationship with his family in the winter pasture.
Highlight: during the snowy and windy days in Altay, the tension between people and the Nature, conflict between the father and son, as well as tension between memories and the reality constitute three intertwining forces, which make the story suspenseful and tense, delivering a bright, gentle, and soothing ending.
-Awaken ANNA-
Science fiction Love
Storyline: Scientist Fu Ming duplicates successfully a woman identical to his dead wife Anna. However, each time she is awakened, the situation turns out of control. As a result, Fu Ming has no other choice but to make continuous attempts to awaken Anna.
Highlight: Simple as the concept is, the emotions are genuine: a husband resurrects his dead wife, which actually displays his ruthless commitment to unfulfilled deeds. The ultimate conflict between the one to awaken others and the one unwilling to be awakened will end up an astonishing reverse. With the design of a great number of concept drawings finished, the project will strive to create a real atmosphere in a future world.
-JIGME-
Adventure Crime
Storyline: The police and the poachers go to rescue the people trapped in the mountains. The policeman Guan Nan bumps into dangerous situations along the way and witnesses the death, finally regaining the missing professional belief.
Highlight: The movie delivers an unusual image of policemen. Focusing on displaying the humanity of characters, the movie presents more genuine characters in a three-dimensional manner. The director, also the screenwriter, has been intertwined with policemen for a long time, thus showcasing a unique and impressive perspective.
-HUIS-
Feature film Family
Storyline: Zhe Ren takes his mother suffering from Alzheimer's disease back to his home in the grassland. In order to prevent his mother from disappearing again, he ties himself with his mother with a rope. It seems that relationship between the mother and her child returns to the starting point.
Highlight: The unique image of "umbilical cord" runs through the film, and the protagonist's sense of insecurity gives rise to the twists and turns of the plot. The emotion is always delicate and abundant, which resonates in such different fields as the city, grassland and dreams.
-Aerial Pastoral by Grandpa-
Feature film, Family
Storyline: Water vapor abounds in southern China due to the warm and humid climate. Three generations of a family live a quiet life, which reveals subtle "connection" and "repetition" as the grandpa builds an aerial pastoral.
Highlight: "Aerial Pastoral by Grandpa" is tinged with romantic colors and visual tension. Representative works of the photography and art team include Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains, All About ING, and they have practical experience in the cinematographic style required for this film.
-GUIZHOU Rock n’Roll-
Comedy, Crime
Storyline: The recidivist thief Santai accidentally secures a place in the dormitory for the security staff of the police station. “Treasure-hunting Plan” is completely disrupted due to the involvement of three problematic juveniles. The kindhearted Santai prevents the juveniles from committing crimes, thus changing the fates of each other.
Highlight: With the characters speaking in the dialects of Guizhou, the movie delivers a naturally funny atmosphere. The film is full of funny plots, accompanied by thought-provoking observations on the social phenomenon of left-behind teenagers.
-Downstream-
Feature film, Family
Storyline: Twenty years ago, the father leaves without saying goodbye and the mother operates a boat to raise three children. As the family reunite on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the elder brother confirms the father's whereabouts, and the three generations of the family who operate a boat on the canal will undergo disturbances in their life.
Highlight: It is a small epic about a family operating a boat on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. A gathering of the Mid-Autumn Festival sheds light on the warmth and cruelty of Chinese families. The movie is warm, featuring uniquely detailed description of the food in Jiangsu and Zhejiang province.
-The Death of A Thief-
Comedy
Storyline: It is about how three families in the quadrangle dwellings in a mountain village of southern China deal with a body of a thief on the New Year’s Eve, leading to absurd and comic stories.
Highlight: The movie features a lively rhythm and a multi-line narrative, while is the director’s first attempt to shoot a black absurd comedy feature film. The project has witnessed the completion of a 30-minute short film bearing the same name, The Death of A Thief, which has won many awards.
-Stage-
Comedy, Feature film
Storyline: In 1917, the boy of a steamed stuffed bun restaurant enters Dexiang Theater as he delivers steamed stuffed buns, thus encountering all sorts of people by chance. Originally intending to enjoy operas, he is accidentally asked to take the stage to sing an opera by Master Hong.
Highlight: The script has a sound storyline, adding a new sub-story on the basis of the original drama bearing the same name, thus delivering a more prominent comedy and leaves more space for imagination concerning the film.
-New Boy-
Feature film, Road
Storyline: Having just been discharged from prison, Ning Li and his neighbor Dongdong go to Beijing together to see the persons that they want to see in their heart.
Highlight: The story is based on real-life experiences, depicting vividly the loneliness and confusion of the characters. Despite the age gap, the friendship between the man and the boy is interesting and makes people laugh.
-roject Shortlisted for Negotiations-
-Overlap Shadow-
Suspense, Crime, Feature film
Storyline: Suibian County witnesses a serial murder with young females being the victims. Undergoing a midlife crisis, the policeman Zhao Muyang is exhausted thanks to case investigation, while the conflict between his daughter and girlfriend makes him tired. On the verge of pressure and breakdown, how could he accomplish his mission?
Highlight: The storyline pans out in a fast pace. As he reveals the mystery and pursues the murderer, a town which has gradually split due to surface subsidence displays its appearance, thus delivering an Ukiyo-e of the county.
-Evidence Never Tell Lies-
Crime, Suspense
Storyline: The murderer committing an indiscriminate homicide is the suspect Wu Hui of a serial murder 5 years ago. The policeman Zheng Yuan, who has lost his beloved wife to the murder, confronts Wu Hui, while new clues lead to more truths behind the murder.
Highlight: Due to the confrontation between the right and wrong, a complete revelation comes into being. Under the cruel and brutal guise lies the pursuit of redemption in the name of love.
-Blue to Red-
Comedy, Feature film
Storyline: Li Sanqin, a taxi driver working night shift, is a man without a destination. However, this summer his family has abandoned him for their respective destinations. After hearing about Elon Musk’s plan to emigrate to Mars, he decides to take one small step -- to Mars.
Highlight: Giving characters life, the film successfully captures the professional characteristics of taxi drivers, delivering the worldly aspects of Xi’an.
-Time Bomb-
Action, Suspense, Crime
Storyline: Song Kangren, a well-known bomb disposal expert, takes the high-speed rail that has been planted a bomb. To slow down the train or to dismantle the bomb will put people’s life in danger anyway. All these let Song Kangren reminisce the tragedy of another explosion many years ago. What decision will he make this time?
Highlight: Taking place in two high-speed trains, the story revolves around the time bomb crisis throughout, which makes people hold their breath. Featuring a strong cast, the film is equipped with a capable production team.
-Trap in Money-
Crime, Suspense, Action
Storyline: The robber kidnaps the bank manager's kid, while his accomplices enter and robs the bank. The policeman in charge of the robbery is the bank manager's wife and the mother of the kid. As parents, the bank manager and the police officer are plagued with the ultimate test of whether to save their kid or to perform their duty. There is also a split among the robbers…
Highlight: The genre and theme are clear. With the good persons and the evil guys under extreme circumstances, all, of different identities, are facing the harsh test of human nature, while the character's final choice is the most impressive.
-Thor-
Feature film
Storyline: Maimed by landmines, the lorry driver Qin Lei has lost his job. In order to survive, he can only overcome his fear and confront the mines left in the land after the war.
Highlight: Themes around landmine clearance are not common, thus leading to dramatic tension. A nobody eventually becomes a hero, and the film is inspiring. The themes of fighting against wars and protecting the homeland carry universal values.
-The Pickup-
Feature film
Storyline: Seeking to afford his rebellious son a chance to go back to school, Ma Zhao ventures into a remote pastoral area to pay off his debts. A primary school in the village has become his "lifeline", while the "straw" is also looking for life.
Highlight: A “mobile school” built on the pickup embodies the genuine and plain love of a father, which is touching.
-Frozen Egg, Broken Egg-
Female, Feature film
Storyline: After her daughter Cheng Xiaosheng dies of cervical cancer, Feng Meiyu is surprised to learn that Xiaosheng has frozen her eggs before her death. Therefore, in spite of all the opposition, Feng Meiyu insists on the right to obtain the frozen eggs and hopes to use eggs to cultivate embryos and continue the life of her daughter.
Highlight: Being a hotly-debated social issue, the theme is novel, paying attention to the inner world of women. The ideological content of the work reveals the mature and deep inside world of the creator beyond his age.
-Sherlock Holmes in Love-
Comedy, Love, Suspense
Storyline: Leng Xiaomo, betrayed by his lover, and Zhang Nasen, facing difficulties in starting up a business, join hands to build a company offering relationship consulting. Out of their expectation, their company fares pretty well. While solving other people’s problems, Leng Xiaomo begins to take a serious look at his own problems.
Highlight: It is an original film. Featuring the tensions of a spy movie, the film enables the viewers to gain an understanding of themselves and love.
-Two/One-
Science fiction, Love
Storyline: Qin Yue and Qin Xing takes advantage of the only opportunity to know each other and fall in love in two worlds. However, one day, they find that they are not in two worlds, and yet they are doomed to a split. They will not be able to see each other any more…
Highlight: Featuring a romantic and beautiful style, as well as novel content, the film is unusually imaginative among movies around youth and campus.
Turn stories into films.
We are grateful for your attention to the final-round Project Pitching of the BJIFF Beijing Film Market.
You can log on to the official website of the Beijing International Film Festival Beijing Market (http://system.bjiff.com/market/loginController.do?entranceJsp&type=jb) for registration , and conduct business negotiations with the project teams.
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