News on New Films! Online BJIFF Opens
Online BJIFF—iQIYI Online Film Screening at the 13th BJIFF will take place from April 20 to 29, 2023. This online Film Screening consists of 11 sections and features over 70 excellent Chinese and foreign films. At the same time, we are honored to have Mr. Leste Chen, a well-known director who sat on the jury of the Tiantan Award of the 11th BJIFF, as the “Online BJIFF- Filming Curator”, who will interact with film fans. At the time, you can visit the feature page of the Online BJIFF on iqiyi.com to enjoy a film feast.
The First Perspective section, a new film section that interests the fans the most, introduces five premieres, which will only be shown for a limited time at the 13th BJIFF!
Poster of Mister Nokaut
Mister Nokaut, a film directed by Russian director Artyom Mikhalkov, depicts the exploits of legendary Soviet boxer Valeri Popenchenko, a boxing champion in USSR and Europe as well as a gold medalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. The film shows his life’s ups and downs – including his childhood at the Tashkent Suvorov Military School, his military career as a border guard cadet, his first success and failure, his love story, and his friendship with Grigory Kuzikianz, a coach of Sportvereinigung Dynamo.
A still from Mister Nokaut
The film’s narrative is brilliant, depicting the legendary athlete’s boxing career to show his overcoming inner fears. It is a pretty good attempt at filming.
Two offline screenings of Mister Nokaut will be held at Lumiere Pavilions Fangcaodi in Beijing at 7:30PM on April 20 and 2:30PM on April 22. Director Artyom Mikhalkov will also be present on the scene. There will be a post-screening Q&A session for both screenings! To buy tickets, fans can visit the official exclusive screening ticketing platform “The 13th BJIFF Feature Page”.
Poster of The Drover's Wife
The Drover's Wife is a film directed and performed by Australian director Leah Purcell based on a novel of the same name. It portrays the story of an indomitable woman, the wife of sheepherder Johnson, in a harsh environment during the pioneering days in Australia. The retro-styled film is replete with wild, dangerous and gorgeous fascination, presenting the western style of the 1980s’ and the tenacity of women in that era.
A still from The Drover's Wife
Leah Purcell, the director, is an Australian aborigine. She has a deeper grasp of Australian customs and history thanks to her special background. She also offers warm greetings to the audience:
Greetings from director Leah Purcell
Two offline screenings of The Drover's Wife will take place at Lumiere Pavilions Fangcaodi in Beijing at 6:30PM on April 21 and 8:00PM on April 24. Audiences can watch the magnificent Australian scenery through the film!
A poster of Inventory
The Inventory, directed by director Darko Sinko, is a Slovenian film about an ordinary old man called Boris Robich who is embroiled in an attempted shooting on an ordinary night. The police investigation, as usual, gets nowhere, and Boris is determined to draw up a list of suspects who attempted to shoot him.
A still from Inventory
The film focuses on solving the crime, but unlike the general suspense genre films, it pays more attention to presenting the protagonist’s mental activities. Inventory has a style that is reminiscent of the calmness and slowness of European films, with an aesthetic feel in light and shadow composition. While analyzing personal life, the film depicts the entire society and interpersonal relationships.
Two offline screenings of Inventory will take place at Lumiere Pavilions Fangcaodi in Beijing at 3:30PM on April 20 and 3:30PM on April 28.
A poster of Islands
Islands is a film directed by Canadian director Martin Edralin. The protagonist, Joshua, is a shy middle-aged Filipino immigrant who lives a comfortable life at his parents’ home. However, the day when parents grow old and die will come. A misfortune in life lays bare the midlife crisis facing a single man who can’t even take care of himself. The appearance of his cousin seems to give him brief warmth and passion for life, but such time is ephemeral.
A still from Islands
The film deals with the issues of loneliness, estrangement and aging. The camera captures the pattern of the space as well as the subtle movements and expressions of the characters. The cast’s stellar performance underscores such delicate mood and subtle atmosphere, making the film’s theme more moving.
Two offline screenings of Islands will take place at Lumiere Pavilions Fangcaodi in Beijing at 3:30PM on April 25 and 1:00PM on April 28.
A poster of Woman Sesame Oil Maker
The 4K restored version of the Woman Sesame Oil Maker directed by Xie Fei, a fourth-generation top director, will be premiered simultaneously online and offline. The film, which won the Golden Bear Award at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, raised the bar for Chinese female-centered films. The protagonist Xiang was taken for profit into a family as a daughter-in-law-to-be. As a woman, she is unfortunate, but she has to be a perpetrator who deprives other women of their happiness. The film mirrors the miserable lives of two generations of women in rural China, eliciting regret and providing food for thought.
In addition to premieres of new films, this year’s event features “Leste Chen” section for director Leste Chen, the Online BJIFF- Filming Curator, including five of his classic films: Home Sweet Home (2021), Upcoming Summer (2021), Battle of Memories (2017), 20 Once Again (2015) and The Great Hypnotist (2014). As a prolific filmmaker, Leste Chen strikes a good balance between a commercial film and his own thoughts, which is rare in today’s film market.
Posters of Home Sweet Home, Upcoming Summer, Battle of Memories, 20 Once Again and The Great Hypnotist
It is hoped that Leste Chen’s films will bring film delight to you.
The Online BJIFF—iQIYI Online Film Screening at the 13th BJIFF will kick off on April 20. The best films await our film fans this spring!