Curtain set to rise on Beijing film festival

As an annual event bridging filmmakers in China and abroad, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival will be held from April 18-26, with submissions for its top honor, the Tiantan Award, reaching a new high.

According to the organizers, 4,273 movies were submitted to the festival. The final nominated 15 movies were selected from 1,509 feature-length movies from 118 countries and regions.

Three Chinese films were shortlisted in the final nominations: Gold or Shit, which depicts a young man encountering an unexpected twist in life; I Love You, to the Moon, and Back, a romantic story about two lovers working in different cities; and Strangers When We Meet, a poignant tale about a man released from a 27-year prison sentence who endeavors to find a wife.

Other nominated films include A Real Job (France), A Whole Life (Austria and Germany), All the Long Nights (Japan), and Death Is a Problem for the Living (Finland).

The jury panel for the Tiantan Award was revealed, with Serbian director Emir Kusturica — one of the most distinguished European directors active since the mid-1980s — serving as the jury president.

Consisting of seven members, the jury panel includes Brazilian animation director Carlos Saldanha, Australian sound editor David White and Jessica Hausner, a female director from Austria.

Three A-list stars well-known to the Chinese audience have also joined the jury, Chinese-American actor Kris Phillips, also known as Fei Xiang, whose recent blockbuster is Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms; Zhu Yilong, renowned for hits such as Lost in the Stars; and actress Ma Li, celebrated for comedies like Goodbye Mr Loser.