The 15th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), one of the biggest film festivals in Asia, will run from June 16 to June 24.
"SIFF has become an event entering its 19th year, with domestic and international filmmakers and filmgoers attending the event since it was first held in 1993. It will definitely be a part of the future," Tang Lijun, deputy-secretary of SIFF told the Global Times.
Since joining SIFF in 2007, Tang said that her team will take the traditional approach of remaining
"unchanged to respond to changes," an attitude that has dominated every year. She said this is a way of keeping up with the changeable and fast nature of the film industry.
New additions
Tang said that this year's innovational response to the dynamic film industry is the focus on micro films. Micro films are short films, around 30 to 40 minutes that are only broadcast online, and usually made with far less investment than cinematic releases.
The Mobile Film Festival was also established in SIFF last year, as mobile phones now offer a different channel for screening and filming. This year the Annual Internet Micro Film Selection competition will be a part of the Mobile Film Festival.
Last year, SIFF cooperated with six domestic video websites in China, like Sohu, Sina, Youku, to select six prominent micro films as contenders for the "Best Annual Internet Micro Film."
The festival has become a stage for the premiere of many micro films, including 520 series between fashion magazine Elle and an international line-up, featuring renowned actor Chen Chong, US singer Robert Schwartzman and French director Stéphane Sednaoui.
"This year's film forums feature topics about changes in film marketing methods in a domineering, multimedia industry. CEOs from six domestic video websites in China alongside foreign independent film producers will join," Tang said. "This shows our concern about the rising media trend in today's film industry."
Another breakthrough is the screening of restored versions of three classic Chinese movies produced during the 1930s and 40s: Spring River Flows East, 8,000 of Cloud and Moon, and Crossroads.
Tang said that this is the first time a film festival participated in the financial and technology support in restoring old domestic movies.
Copy cat?
For 19-year old SIFF, the greatest contender is the recent, two-year old Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF), which just ended in April.
Tang said the proximity of the two events is not an issue. "SIFF has been held for almost 20 years. It's [not necessary] to change when it is held."
Two things at this year's 2nd BIFF were particularly notable. First was the attendance of film director James Cameron and his wife, both on the red carpet and Cameron as a guest in several forums.
Second, BIFF announced the turnover of its film trading market during the festival from both years; 2.8 billion yuan ($440million) in the first year, and 5.2 billion yuan this year.
The first film festival in China, SIFF has never publicly announced logistics for the festival since launching a film trading market for SIFF in 2007. Tang stated they have no plan to do so in the future.
"Other international film festivals around the world, including Cannes, do not report these [statistics]. We respect the international convention," Tang said, "Also, there's a long period for a transaction number to come up, one or two years after the festival."
Shen Yang, the deputy business director of SIFF in charge of film trading at SIFF told the Global Times that since 2007, among several hundred film projects, 13 productions have been finished.
"This result is not bad, considering the global economic depression," Shen added.
Tang believes the most important part of a film festival concerns the movies.
"Only quality films can win over a sustainable audiences," Tang said.
Weak version
Xu Yuan, a film lover who became a volunteer for the SIFF in 2007, thinks the film quality in the upcoming SIFF is the weakest in recent years, especially domestic films, such as Beijing Blues directed by Gao Qunshu and Xiao Hong directed by Huo Jianqi.
"The committee may weigh more the fame and the popularity of the director and the actors," Xu added. Xu said that the influence and power of judges in the 21st century of SIFF does not compare with the 1990s.
"In the 1990s, we had Nagisa Oshima, Oliver Stone and Stanislav Rostotsky, but in the 2000s, very few 'big shots' appeared, except Luc Besson in 2006," Xu said. "I also can't understand why they chose Jean Jacques as the chairman of the judges for the Golden Goblet Award, since he has no notable works from the last six or so years."
The Golden Goblet is the most prestigious and coveted award given out at the SIFF.
Wang Fang, a film professor at Shanghai Normal University believes that it is necessary for a new film festival to invite household names, including commercially successful film directors.
"Doing this in the beginning expands the influence of the festival, but if SIFF still invited directors like Cameron as chairman of the judges, it won't be the kind of film festival I like," Wang said.