As spring blossoms, the magic of cinema arrives as promised. With less than ten days until the grand opening of the 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), the "Beijing Film Panorama" section officially reveals its screening schedule today!

From April 16 to April 26, approximately 260 outstanding films from around the world will be showcased in nearly 800 screenings across key commercial cinemas, art-house theaters, and grand venues in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Building upon the previously announced first batch, the complete lineup has been further upgraded, bringing together a spectacular array of global cinema - from legendary masters to phenomenal classics, and from hidden gems to Essence of Series. This lineup is set to ignite a new wave of ticket-snatching fever.

For cinephiles, BJIFF has never been just about "watching movies"; it is a meticulous orchestration of time, space, and passion. Experience from previous years tells us that to navigate this cinematic journey without regrets, one must map out a personal screening itinerary in advance.

Without further ado, here are the Film Screening highlights you should immediately add to your "must-buy" list:

The French national treasure and legendary actress Juliette Binoche serves as the Jury President of this year's "Tiantan Award". As a major highlight of the "Special Screenings" section, 12 of her most iconic works will be showcased. This curated selection includes her collaborations with masters such as Leos Carax, Abbas Kiarostami, and Tran Anh Hung, featuring classics like The Night is Young, The Lovers on the Bridge, Certified Copy, and The Taste of Things.

This year's "Retrospective" section honors the soul of New German Cinema - the "madman" director who perpetually pushes the limits: Werner Herzog. For the first time on BJIFF screens, 12 of his masterpieces will be presented, including Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, Nosferatu: Phantom of the Night, and Cobra Verde. Every frame is a profound inquiry into nature, madness, and the extremities of human obsession.

In the "Auteur Gala" section, a collection of award-winning gems from international festivals and new works by renowned directors await cinephiles in the theaters. Highlights include François Ozon's The Stranger, which competed for the Golden Lion in the Main Competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival; Oliver Laxe's Sirāt, which was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival and received a nomination for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards; and Richard Linklater's Nouvelle Vague, which also contended for the Palme d'Or in the Main Competition of the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

Within the "Homage: Restoration" and "Homage: Commemoration" sections, fans will have the opportunity to see restored Chinese cinematic classics on the big screen. These include Xie Tian's Teahouse (1982), Stephen Shin's The Great Conqueror's Concubine (1994), and Peter Chan's Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996), among others.

Beyond the explosive lineup, this year's cinematic experience has been fully upgraded with surprises at every turn! In addition to Langyuan Station in Dongba, the "Beijing Film Panorama" has added approximately 20 new Open-Air Cinema screenings at two of the city's trendy landmarks: Xianglong · Baicanghui and SOLANA. Imagine a spring breeze paired with a great film, and a vibrant night market accompanying the silver screen. You can browse through specialty stalls while waiting for the show to begin, and after the credits roll, many of the films' core creators will make surprise appearances for face-to-face sessions to share behind-the-scenes stories. This initiative is set to illuminate Beijing's "night economy" through the magic of cinema.

Furthermore, the Boundless ∞ Immersive Section will make its debut at Langyuan Station. The exhibition area has expanded from 2,000 to 5,000 square meters, creating an even more breathtaking immersive cinematic carnival.

Ticket information

Exclusive Official Ticketing Platform: Maoyan

Release Time: April 10 at 12:00 PM Sharp!

*Friendly Reminder: To ensure a smooth booking process, please complete your Real-name Registration in advance under the "My BJIFF" section on the Maoyan platform's dedicated BJIFF landing page.

Beyond the visual feast on screen, this year's BJIFF has prepared layered "bonus surprises" and welfare for all our cinephiles!

"Nothing Beats a Movie in the Spring." BJIFF has already launched the "Spring Cinema Ticket Stub Challenge" on social media. We also invite you to share your stories with BJIFF, your personal cinematic journeys, or the expectations for this year's lineup that are "engraved in your DNA" in the comments section below. We will select several lucky fans based on the quality and popularity (likes) of their comments to receive exclusive heavyweight gifts!

Once this article reaches 50,000 views, we will select 5 fans from the top-quality comments to receive tickets for our hottest screenings.

When views hit 80,000, we will select an additional 3 fans. In addition to movie tickets, they will also receive the BJIFF official mascot Yancey or the Beijing Film Panorama mascot plush doll GISMOW.

If we reach the 100,000 views milestone, another 2 lucky fans will be chosen. On top of the tickets and Yancey, they will also win exclusive spots to attend the BJIFF Masterclasses and Open Classes.

Speed is key, but don't forget to shout out your passion! This spring, let's meet the masters and reunite with the classics in Beijing. Join us for this ultimate cinematic carnival dedicated to every cinephile.