Millennium director

The Pingyao International Film Festival is a film screening event initiated and founded by director Jia Zhangke and with Marco Mueller as artistic director. It is held annually in the 2,700-year-old ancient city of Pingyao.

It mainly screens non-Western (Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa) films, aiming to enhance the connection and cooperation between Chinese films and film practitioners in non-Western and developing countries.

On March 16, 2017, the Pingyao International Film Festival was officially launched in Beijing, and the first screening was held, which was a complete success.

It is worth mentioning that the Pingyao International Film Festival is the fifth international film festival approved by the state after the Magic City International Film Festival, Changchun Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival, and Silk Road International Film Festival.

Of course, the Macau International Film Festival, an international film festival with a relatively special situation, is not counted.

If the Hainan International Film Festival, which was approved in 2020, is added, there are only seven international film festivals in China.

And among them, only the Pingyao International Film Festival is the only film festival that has nothing to do with the official.

The other film festivals were all jointly created by the local government and the General Administration.

This shows how awesome Chief Jia is. He was able to create the Pingyao International Film Festival when only the government could hold film festivals.

Wu Yuan really didn't know how Chief Jia did it.

But because he knew the example of Chief Jia, he had been signaling Guangying Times to work hard on the General Administration since a few years ago, hoping to get approval from the higher authorities to hold an international film festival led by Guangying Times.

This matter has been dragging on for several years, and it was finally settled this year.

Maybe it's because the domestic film industry has been developing so vigorously in the past two years. Starting from "Lost in Thailand", the domestic film market has exploded, allowing the higher authorities to see the dawn of the development of the entertainment industry, and only then were they willing to let Guangying Times hold a film festival.

After all, in the past, the three Chinese golds plus other awards such as the Beijing International Film Festival and the College Student Film Festival were enough to support the domestic film art honors.

If there are so many film festivals, there will only be a situation where there are too many monks and too little porridge.

To put it bluntly, there are too many awards, but not enough films that can participate in the film festival.

Until this year, the top management may have felt that the number of new Chinese films will explode every year, and one more international film festival can be added to match the rapid development of Chinese films.

However, this quota is just one more.

Guangying Times has taken it first, so in the foreseeable future, Chief Jia is unlikely to have the opportunity to create the Pingyao International Film Festival again.

This thing is a one-to-one job, and the qualification for hosting cannot be abused.

That's why Wu Yuan felt sorry in his heart.

Although he was sorry, he was still determined to hold his own international film festival. If he grasped this thing, it would be equivalent to grasping part of the right to interpret and speak for domestic art films.

As a leading film company, Guangying Times cannot miss this good opportunity.

"Director Wu, the General Administration wants you to be the initiator and leader of this film festival, even though it is hosted by Light and Shadow Times."

"The main publicity direction is for you to be in the front, and it is better for us to be behind the scenes."

"So the public statement is that you are the one who made this film festival happen, and you are undoubtedly the founder, and you are the chairman of the jury of the first film festival."

"And it would be best if you could invite some internationally influential filmmakers to serve as judges and consultants."

"In short, the above means that this international film festival we hold must reach the world's first-class level and meet the definition of "international."

"I understand." Wu Yuan picked Raised eyebrows: "It's just networking."

"I'm not bragging, there is no director in China who knows more international filmmakers than I do."

"If I want, I can invite half of Europe and half of Hollywood filmmakers."

"It's not that serious." Li Xiaoping wiped the sweat off her face, "We still have to grasp the degree. It would be bad if we steal the limelight from Shanghai and Beijing International Film Festival."

"After all, our official name is Film Festival."

"And the awards cannot be called awards directly, but honors."

"I understand this too." Wu Yuan nodded decisively again: "We are not a film festival, so we can't give out awards. We can only play by the rules."

Pingyao International Film Festival has shown Wu Yuan examples of this.

What Roberto Rossini Honor, Fei Mu Honor, Audience Voting Honor, but the "awards" actually awarded are still Best Film, Best Director and the like.

It's just not easy to give out customized trophies, so we can only give out pieces of paper.

Not a big problem.

For the film crews participating in the exhibition, what is important is the exposure opportunity that attracts everyone's attention and the gimmick of winning the honor.

As for the value of the honor itself.

Whether Cannes awards the Golden Palm or a piece of ordinary paper, it doesn't really matter.

What really makes Cannes famous is its commercial operation and century-old reputation.

Similarly, for the new film exhibition in the era of light and shadow, it doesn't matter what the award is called. What matters is whether the film exhibition can become a fair, just, open and highly watched film week.

"By the way." Wu Yuan asked again: "We still have to choose a venue for this film festival, and then give it a name, right?"

All international film festivals in the world are named after the venue.

For example, Shanghai International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Paris International Film Festival and so on.

The International Film Festival of Light and Shadow Era should also be like this. It can't be like the Golden Rooster Awards, changing the venue every time it is held, messing around!

"Yes, Director Wu, do you have any favorite places?"

"I think Dali is a good place." Wu Yuan said preparedly: "Yunnan Province is a good place, it is like spring all year round, and the air is good, very original."

"And Dali has the Dali Ancient City, which can represent the cultural history of our China and has a heavy sense of history."

"There are already many film festivals held in big cities. There are Beijing and Shanghai in China alone. We don't need to hold them in big cities. It's better to hold them in Dali Ancient City."

"Let's call it the Dali International Film Festival. Isn't that good?"

"The invited guests can not only come to participate in the exhibition, but also travel. Whether it is a domestic or international crew, they can come to experience the charm of our southwest China."

"How is it?"

Li Xiaoping thought seriously, Dali is indeed good, nodded and said: "Okay, then I will report to the General Administration!" (End of this chapter)