Prestigious Tiantan Award ceremony brings an end to first in-person Beijing International Film Festival since COVID

Zhang Yimou (center), the jury president of the Tiantan Award, walks alongside other jury members during the Beijing film festival’s closing ceremony on April 29. (ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY)

For the first time in the 13-year history of the annual Beijing International Film Festival, two outstanding actresses — Antonia Zegers from Chile and Line Renaud in France — jointly received the Tiantan Award for Best Leading Actress, one of the ceremony’s most highly regarded honors.

The 10 awards, selected from 15 contending films shortlisted from 1,488 titles from 93 countries and regions, were unveiled on April 29 in Beijing.

While Chilean actress Zegers won the award for vividly portraying a devastated mother in The Punishment, 94-year-old Renaud became the best actress category’s co-winner for her superb acting skills in the French movie Driving Madeleine.

The Punishment, a coproduction of Chile and Argentina that explores the psychology of motherhood, took home the Best Feature Film award. 

Mexican filmmaker Lila Aviles won the Best Director award for Totem, a Mexico-Denmark-France coproduction that tells a family’s unlikely gathering from the eyes of a seven-year-old child. One of the movie’s cast, Montserrat Maranon, won the award for Best Supporting Actress. 

Jackie Chan (third from left) was among other movie stars at the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival on April 21. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Winning a total of five awards, The Shadowless Tower — a Chinese movie inspired by Beijing’s historic White Pagoda — was one of the biggest winners, with cast members Xin Baiqing and Tian Zhuangzhuang taking home the Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards, respectively. 

Xin said he found it hard to believe that a quietly narrated arthouse flick could win so much praise from the jury panel. This movie marks his second time collaborating with director Zhang Lyu after 2021’s Yanagawa, and Xin expressed hope that the award-winning film will perform well in the market upon its general release later this year.

Director Zhang, who also wrote the movie and won the Best Screenplay Award, said: “On my way to the film festival’s award ceremony, a friend asked me, ‘Which phase in the making of this movie did you like the most?’ Honestly, I least enjoyed the period while writing the script, which was a one-person ‘battle’ to fight against loneliness and isolation,” said Zhang. 

Actor Zhu Yilong (second from left) and actress Ni Ni appear at the opening ceremony of the Beijing film festival. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

It was the participation of other major creators that helped him shake off his sense of loneliness, Zhang said, adding that he believes the honor should belong to all of his fellow cast and crew members.

Reciting a famous line from the poem Man Jiang Hong (Full River Red) written by the renowned general Yue Fei during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), which also served as the inspiration for his highest-grossing film of the same name, Zhang encouraged young talent to value their time and pursue their dreams. 

Despite sudden heavy rain and hail in northern Beijing’s Huairou district, stars braved the elements to walk the red carpet at a closing ceremony event on April 28. The opening ceremony red carpet took place on April 21 at Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center.

More than 100 celebrities attended, most of whom were cast and crew from around 20 featured movies. The films on show ranged from contenders for the festival’s top honor, the Tiantan Award, to upcoming blockbusters. On the sidelines, they shared their passion for cinema and revealed some behind-the-scenes details.

Wu Yanshu, an 85-year-old veteran who won last year’s Tiantan Award for best actress for her heartwarming performance in Song of Spring, described the annual event as a “lucky place” that holds a special place in her heart. She expressed her desire to continue acting as long as the audience needs her.

At the closing ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival on April 29, producer Adrian Solar receives the Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film for The Punishment. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Ge You, one of the most famous actors in China for comedy hits like The Dream Factory, also shared his decades-long love for movies, mentioning he was willing to patiently wait for good scripts and directors.

As the first international film festival in the country to fully resume all in-person activities since the COVID-19 outbreak, the event attracted nearly 1,500 movies from 93 countries and regions to join the competition for the Tiantan Award. It was also a carnival for movie fans, with over 180 films screened at 27 cinemas.

Beijing 2022, the official documentary about the Winter Olympics by director Lu Chuan, was the festival’s opening film. It was in production for more than two and a half years, with Lu and his team shooting the film in various locations around the globe.

He said that it showcases the stories and shining moments of international athletes, Olympic staff, building workers, technicians, volunteers, medical personnel and officials, as well as performers at the opening and closing ceremonies.

The closing movie for the festival was Born to Fly, which tells the story of a group of test pilots from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Opening domestically on April 28, the movie has already grossed over 75 million yuan ($10.8 million), topping China’s box office charts. 

Director Zhang Lyu receives one of five Tiantan Awards for his film The Shadowless Tower, one of the biggest winners at the 13th Beijing International Film Festival.(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Director Liu Xiaoshi, who walked the red carpet with the cast, said he hoped the movie will pay tribute to the pilots who risk their lives to fly test missions for the development and improvement of China’s most advanced fighter jets.

Singaporean film director Anthony Chen, known for Wet Season, said the festival had always given him a sense of freshness. He said that he hopes the festival will continue to expand its international presence and encourage greater cinematic exchanges between Chinese and foreign filmmakers.

Deemed an incubator for emerging talent, this year’s Forward Future Section drew nearly 500 movies from more than 60 countries and regions to compete for its seven awards.

Hong Kong actress Kara Wai said she collaborates with young directors by acting in one or two of their films each year. She expressed excitement at having met many new young directors through the festival.

Hong Kong director Peter Chan, who was the president of the festival’s final jury for project pitches, said that he hopes to find new and emerging scriptwriters and directors this year.

Emphasizing cultural exchanges, this year’s event collaborated with the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum for the first time to encourage young filmmakers from Hong Kong to participate in and promote the joint development of the Hong Kong and mainland film markets.

Contact the writers at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn