As China’s cinematic influence continues to grow, the international community is taking an increased interest in Chinese films. This can be seen through the increasing quality and number of high caliber international film festivals that China hosts every year. While some, like the Hong Kong International Film Festival, are more high profile than others, all of these festivals provide a platform for Chinese directors and actors to show their talents to the world.

Xu Jinle, Jackie Chan and Fan Bingbing at the 2009 HKIFF. Photo: chinadaily.com.cn

One of the oldest and most established international film festivals in China, the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) was begun in 1977 by the Urban Council, and Leisure and Cultural Services. It is now run as an independent, charitable company called the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society with the purpose to “strengthen global appreciation of Chinese film culture and to promote good films from around the world”. Despite this independent status, the festival still garners government support, with an annual government subsidy of seven million Hong Kong dollars.

The festival, which typically lasts just over two weeks, shows over 300 movies from fifty different countries throughout Hong Kong. Film awards, in categories such as “The Fresh Wave Short Film Competition” and “The Humanitarian Award for Documentaries,” are decided by a panel composed of film industry professionals like directors and film critics. And of course, what would a film festival be without celebrities? The HKIFF gets plenty, including Jet Li, American director Oliver Stone, John Woo, Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, Feng Xiaogang, and Michelle Yeoh. Expect to see many more at the festival on March 20-April 5 of this year. Over its thirty three year existence, the HKIFF remains one of the best places to find new cinematic talent and introduce quality Asian films to the worldwide market.

Opening Ceremony of the 10th Chagnchun Film Festival

While it is likely that you’ve heard of the HKIFF before, you may be a bit surprised to learn that Changchun has its own international film festival. The Changchun Film Festival, begun in 1992, is very much the government’s baby, with its official sponsorship coming from the Ministry of Radio, Film, and Television, the provincial government of Jilin, and the Changchun municipal government. This means that the films shown here aren’t quite as groundbreaking as those at the HKIFF, but the festival still provides an outlet for Chinese and Asian film talent. The awards committee, comprised of artists and “film theorists” from around the world, hands out prizes for actors and actresses, supporting actors and actresses, and an overall Golden Deer Cup for best picture. While this is technically an international festival, a quick glance at the list of winners for the more prestigious awards will show you that this is mainly China’s time to pat itself on its back. For example, this year saw China’s The Founding of Nation win the Golden Deer Cup award for best picture and Chinese actress Zhao Wei (Mulan) tie for Best Actress with Hong Kong’s Kara Hui (At the End of Daybreak).

Poster of the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival 

Ranking right up there with the Tokyo International Film Festival in terms of prestige, the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is easily one of the largest film festivals in all of Asia. First hosted in 1997, it is also the only film festival in China to be accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Association. Held for one week every June, the SIFF consistently draws in big names from all over the world, like director Danny Boyle (he’s the guy behind Slumdog Millionaire), Halle Berry (do I really need to tell you who that is?), and John Woo (who acted as chair of the event last year).

“Film veterans” serve as judges during the competition in categories such as best actor and actress, best screenplay, and best cinematography, while the Golden Goblet award for Best Picture is decided upon by seven cinema celebrities from various countries. An increasing desire to reward new talent resulted in the creation of the International Student Shorts Award in 2006, and the SIFF continues to be the leader in promoting Asian film talents. The SIFF’s 14th festival is coming up this summer, so expect more big names to be announced.

Deciding to jump on the Chinese cinema bandwagon, this country’s capital finally made the move to host its own festival. Hence the creation of the Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF), which will officially launch on April 23-28 of this year. This is another government-owned project, with the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television sponsoring it and “senior officials from central government departments” serving as vice chairmen. While details are vague when it comes to what kinds of prizes will be awarded and what celebrities or film experts will serve on the judges’ panel, there is little doubt that this film festival will rival some of Asia’s largest. While organizers hope to “bring together domestic and international film resources and serve as a platform for exchanges and transactions,” it remains to be seen how exactly this festival will differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. So far, exhibits that include a glimpse of the world through cinema and a planned fair of film collectibles point to a focus on integration of both past and up-and-coming talent. Only time will tell how the BIFF will stack up to its competition.

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Keywords: International film festivals China film festivals China hong kong international film festival Changchun film festival Beijing international film festival