130 Years of Cinema: Beijing International Film Festival Begins Apr 18
The time is now, film geeks! The 15th edition of the Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) will take place this year from Apr 18 to Apr 26.
The main competition awards for the Beijing International Film Festival are the Tiantan Awards. The international jury panel for this section of the festival will be headed by Chinese actor and director Jiang Wen, of The Sun Also Rises, Let the Bullets Fly, and Rogue One directional fame. He will be joined on the judging panel by Chinese American actor and director Joan Chen, British director and producer David Yates (Fantastic Beasts trilogy, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1 and 2), Finnish director Teemu Nikki, Swiss actor and director Vincent Perez, Chinese actor Ni Ni, and art director Tim Yip of Hong Kong.
Another section of the festival competition is the Forward Future section, which focuses on the next generation of filmmakers and seeks to discover and promote new directors with unique and innovative styles. The jury panel for the Forward Future award section will be headed by renowned Hungarian director, screenwriter, and producer Béla Tarr, known for works such as The Prefab People, Damnation, The Turin Horse, and Satan’s Tango.
Tiantan Award Contenders
There are ten categories for these awards. The categories are Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Artistic Contribution, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Music.
Fifteen films are up for consideration this year, three Chinese and 12 foreign:
Trapped/High ’N’ Dry 《大风杀》
Director: Sagara (Zhang Qi)
Country: China
Synopsis:
A gang of lunatics, a gust of sand, and a pile of money collided under the threat of an approaching storm. Keep the windows and doors closed, stay quiet, and hold still! In a remote border town, 44 heavily armed bandits, who were after both money and lives, suddenly launched a raid. The entire town was plunged into a desperate situation with no fuel and no communication. There were only three police officers and a single gun in the town. "Night Owl" Xia Ran (played by Bai Ke) engaged in a life-or-death showdown with the escaped bandit leader Beishan (played by Xin Baiqing). Gunfire erupted in Mang'ai, and internal conflicts stirred within the gang. Under the cover of a sandstorm, a deadly showdown began.
Better Me, Better You 《好好的》
Director: Hao Ming, Li Peiran
Country: China
Synopsis:
Bai Liping (Ma Li) is a northeastern caretaker who flees domestic violence to seek a better life in the city, only to face repeated setbacks. Her life intertwines with Tang Shuyin (played by Zhao Shuzhen), a solitary elderly woman in Beijing. Initially clashing over their differences, the two gradually forge an unbreakable bond—blending maternal-filial tenderness with soul-deep friendship. The film delves into women’s struggles and self-redemption, crafting a powerful ode to feminine resilience and solidarity."
Deep in the Mountains 《如意饭店》
Director: Li Yongyi
Country: China
Synopsis:
In the early 1990s, a small-town checkpoint officer, Yao Sichen, becomes entangled in a missing truck case due to a canceled fine. To clear up the case, he spares no effort in investigating in Maniao River Village, dealing with the truck driver Yang Zhaowei and his daughter Yang Ge, village chief Zhang Changchun, security chief Chen Yongjin, Yan Xue, and the serial killer Ge Wenyong. In the end, Yao ultimately clears up a string of murder-for-profit crimes.
Apollon by Day Athena by Night
Director: Emine Yıldırım
Country: Turkey
Synopsis:
Raised as an orphan, Defne, a cranky newbie psychic, finds herself in the ancient town of Side (Antalya), accompanied by the ghosts of a Marxist revolutionary, a prostitute and a primeval priestess, as she searches for her long-lost mother.
BAUS: The Ship's Voyage Continues
Director: Hokimoto Sora
Country: Japan
Synopsis:
Two brothers come to Tokyo, where they unexpectedly become employees at a movie theater. From screenings with phonographs to the era of talkies, movies evolve. The brothers, seeking their own “tomorrow," establish BAUS Theater. The cinema, which ventured into interesting things regardless of genre, not just movies but also rakugo, theater plays, and live performances, is born. In the movie, "death" is close at hand, but at the same time, "eternity" is also close by. Through bad times, good times, and wartime, BAUS Theater is always there bringing people joy and hope.
Frieda’s Case
Director: Maria Brendle
Country: Switzerland
Synopsis:
In 1904, young seamstress Frieda Keller becomes the central figure in a high-profile legal battle that exposes the deep injustices of a patriarchal society. Her case forces male prosecutors to confront personal and professional dilemmas that challenge their views on morality and gender equality. As the trial unfolds, public protests and media attention highlight the unequal treatment of women in the legal system. Frieda’s fight for justice becomes a symbol of the broader struggle for gender equality and a mirror reflecting societal hypocrisy and injustice.
In My Parents’ House
Director: Tim Ellrich
Country: Germany
Synopsis:
In her parents’ house, Holle’s brother Sven has been living in silent isolation for decades. He remains detached from the family’s life, seeming to fade away more and more each year. What goes on inside him is a mystery to everyone, and his family has quietly come to terms with the situation - a fragile balance of silence and tolerance. Only Holle is the one who has never fully accepted this situation. Nevertheless, she no longer brings it up, focusing instead on her new calling as a spiritual healer. For the first time, Holle is taking steps toward her own self-fulfillment. But when her mother is unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, the deceptive calm shatters. Holle is increasingly confronted with her brother’s worsening condition and becomes determined to help him, despite his resistance and the family’s reluctance. While her other siblings look away, Holle senses a far greater crisis looming.
Loveable
Director: Lilja Ingolfsdottir
Country: Norway
Synopsis:
After her husband asks for a divorce, Maria finds herself facing the collapse of her marriage and the uncertainty of her future. Lost and adrift, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Through struggle and heartache, she gradually rediscovers the parts of herself she had lost and redefines her own path in life. With the support of family and friends, Maria comes to realize that only by embracing her imperfections can she truly find inner renewal.
Nawi: Dear Future Me
Director: Apuu Mourine, Vallentine Chelluget, Tobias Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler
Country: Kenya, Germany
Synopsis:
Based on the winning story of a nationwide writing contest, Nawi portrays the life of a determined girl growing up in rural Kenya. Nawi’s aspirations of attending high school are shattered when she learns that her father Eree plans to marry her off to a stranger, Shadrack. Despite her family’s necessity for the bride wealth – symbolized by a substantial amount of livestock – Nawi refuses to succumb to this arranged child marriage. Her steadfast ally in this struggle is her brother and closest friend, Joel. However, Nawi’s father remains entrenched in tribal traditions, swayed by the counsel of uncles, stepbrothers, and the elders of the clan. Even her three mothers, constrained by their roles as women, believe that being a wife is Nawi’s destined path. On her wedding night, she plans for a bold move...
Shepherds
Director: Sophie Deraspe
Country: France
Synopsis:
Mathyas, an aspiring writer, trades his life in Montreal as a young advertising executive for that of a shepherd in the South of France. But the road to his desired pastoral tranquillity is filled with hard work. A visit from Elise, a civil servant who boldly quit her job, gives Mathyas’ quest a new direction. Together, they embark on a transhumance. Facing the challenges of the mountains, with a herd to take care of, they will forge a new life for themselves.
The Great Ambition
Director: Andrea Segre
Country: Italy, Belgium, Bulgaria
Synopsis:
Secretary of the most influential Communist Party in the Western world, Enrico Berlinguer, challenged the international balance by seeking to bring the Communists to government in Italy and achieve socialism in a democratic country. From 1973, when he escaped an attack by the Bulgarian secret services, to the assassination of his main ally Aldo Moro in 1978, not forgetting his trips to Moscow and the cover of TIME, this is the story of a man who wanted to change the world, but failed.
The Message
Director: Iván Fund
Country: Argentina, Spain Uruguay
Synopsis:
On the dusty roads of the Argentinian countryside, a young girl’s gift pushes her opportunistic guardians to sell pet medium consultations to make a living. Whether magic or fraud, one thing is certain: the service is real—and innocence is a treasure.
The Summer Book
Director: Charlie McDowell
Country: Finland, United Kingdom, USA
Synopsis:
Based on Tove Jansson’s beloved novel, The Summer Book tells the story of Sophia, a nine-year-old girl who is growing up fast, and her grandmother, who is nearing the end of her life. Together with Sophia’s father, they spend time at their family’s summer home on a tiny, unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland, exploring the islet, talking about life, nature and everything but their feelings about Sophia’s mother’s death and their love for one another. By the end of the summer, emotional wounds are healed, bonds are deepened, and the grandmother is able to leave this life peacefully.
Vitrival: The Most Beautiful Village in the World
Director: Noëlle Bastin, Baptiste Bogaert
Country: Belgium
Synopsis:
Benjamin and Little Pierre, cousins and local policemen, patrol Vitrival while listening to Radio Chevauchoir. They have a lot to do: Dick graffitis are popping up on the village walls. Of course, no one has seen or heard anything. At the same time, one villager commits suicide, then two, then three. Season after season, dick graffitis and suicides proliferate. What can Benjamin and Pierre do about it? Days and celebrations will keep flowing, no matter what.
Vortex
Director: Hadi Mohaghegh
Country: Iran, Czechia (Czech Republic)
Synopsis:
In the wilderness, a driver stops for a boy standing in the road. The youth asks the driver to take him home. During the ensuing journey, the boy tells the driver that while working in the garden, he accidentally injured a snake with his sickle and needs honey to treat the wound. Once home, the driver promises to come back with the honey. However, upon his return, the driver is confronted with some shocking news that irrevocably alters the course of his life and reveals the mystical connection between nature and humanity.
Forward Future Films
In the Forward Future section of the festival, which will take place from Apr 18 to Apr 24, there will be 15 films up for seven awards. These awards are Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Artistic Contribution and Jury Special Mention. Winners will be announced during the Forward Future closing ceremony on Apr 24.
Beijing Film Panorama
The festival will also feature screenings of notable films from various categories to highlight the history of cinema.
Participating Movie Theaters
Films featured in the festival will be shown at 33 participating theaters around Beijing.
Visit the BJIFF website and official WeChat account for more information on films, screening information, and other activities during the fest. Scan the QR code below to follow their WeChat account.
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Images: Beijing International Film Festival
