“June Voyage Song”
Fast Fest
As the FIRST International Film Festival acts as China’s leading gathering for cutting-edge independent films, surprises are expected.
But no one saw what happened Sunday night.
When it came time to announce the festival’s best feature film award, Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard winner Guang Hu (Black Dog) — Audience members at Xining’s Qinghai Grand Theatre were astounded when they were told that they had decided not to give the play a name in the first place.
“The Festival’s mission is to seek out pioneering, cutting-edge work, to discover those whose feet are on the shores of the future, and to celebrate creators who renew dogmas through their aesthetics and excavate new worlds through their practice,” the jury statement read.
“Looking back at the state of filmmaking this year, we see a good deal of diversity, but no single outstanding work. We see many films making steady progress, but not enough works that break new ground. Therefore, with hope and faith in the future, the jury has decided to leave the award for Best Feature Film vacant this year.”
There were some screams, seat-shaking and sidelong glances, but also plenty of applause, as the nine-day event drew to a close — a fittingly cryptic end to a festival that prides itself on showcasing the latest trends and talent in Chinese cinema.
So the spotlight turned instead to the Grand Jury Prize and the films the judges described as having “sharp edges and a powerful sensory impact.” — Chen Yanbin’s June voyage song.
Set in the cultural melting pot that is Southwest China’s mountainous Guizhou province, the film weaves together local legends and the harsh realities of life shrouded in crime.
“The characters, storytelling, acting and editing come together to construct a world of a city filled with desire and power,” the jury said. “The creative spirit of this film is determined, courageous and unwavering, showcasing the powerful energy of emerging creatives.”
The director said he hopes his film will reflect the contemporary society of his hometown.
The best director award went to the debut feature from Baggio Jean, who is currently studying film and psychology at Stanford University. Debris.
The film is inspired by post-pandemic reunions and depicts the slow disintegration of family relationships over a dinner.
Debris The director described the film as an “experimental piece” and said the inspiration for the story came from the traditional Chinese process of reconstructing porcelain, in which broken pieces are pieced together to create something new.
The FIRST festival also featured a unique First Frame competition for films by or about Chinese women, which this year was won by a documentary. can not stopfocuses on a three-year period in the life of Zhang Weili, a global mixed martial arts star who enjoys immense popularity in China.
“I hope people will see Weili not only as a fighter but also as a human being,” said director Xu Huijing, who took the stage with Weili on Saturday to accept the award.
A-listers Zhang Chen and Wu Kangren performed alongside Zhang Jingyi and other rising stars at Sunday night’s star-studded ceremony, which closed the festival, which runs annually from July 20 to 28 in Xining, a central Chinese city known as the gateway to the Tibetan plateau.
See the full list of winners below:
Best Full-Length Narrative
Vacant
Jury Grand Prize
June Voyage SongDirector: Chen Yanbin
Best Director Award
Baggio Jean Debris
Top performance
Huang Jingyi Fish bones
Best Artistic Originality
Jiang Geng Small village
Best Screenplay
Huo Xueying and Zhang Yudi Midsummer’s Voice
Spirit of Freedom
Fu Zongsheng Change_1
Best Documentary
I’ll find youDirected by: Meng Xiao
Best Short Film
Extracurricular ActivitiesDirected by: Dean Wei, Xu Yidan
Best Animated Short Film
candyDirector: Ying Shun
Special Award
Jungle DreamerDirector: Tu Hailun
can not stopDirector Xu Huijing
BaojidaDirected by Keran Abu Kassim
