A total of 15 films have been selected to run for the Tiantan Award at the upcoming 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), three from China and 12 from overseas.

Family relations and friendship are recurring themes among the selected films. Chinese film "All About My Mother" is about a daughter in her early twenties who is so suffocated by her mother's overwhelming love and attention that she feels the need to leave. She wants to break free, until one day her mother is diagnosed with cancer.

Romanian movie "No Rest for the Old Lady" shows Emil and Titi’s lifelong friendship jeopardized when Smaranda, Emil’s wife, moves to Titi’s house, 40 days after her funeral. And Danish movie "The Pact" depicts the intense friendship between Karen Blixen, the Danish author best known for her autobiographical novel "Out of Africa," and Thorkild Bjørnvig, a young and promising poet.

Other selected films are framed against the background of war and violence. 

“A Siege Diary” is set during World War II in Leningrad. Olga has just buried her husband and is sure she is going to die soon out of hunger. She wants to see her father one last time to say goodbye. And "Beyond the Skies" tells the story of a soldier in the Chinese Red Army who sets foot on a war journey that puts him face to face with a life and death choice.

Meanwhile, “Conference” tells the story of a survivor of a deadly terrorist siege in a Moscow theater. Natasha returns to the crime scene many years later to hold a memorial evening, finally able to confront her survivor's guilt as well as her estranged daughter and husband.

To show the life and mindset of children is something that often intrigues filmmakers. 

"Last Film Show" is a breathtaking ode to the enthralling act of watching movies, making movies and the endless fascination for cinema of a nine-year boy. "Moon Rock for Monday" is about a young girl in Sydney who befriends a fugitive teenage boy. They travel to visit a moon rock that the girl believes will heal her. "A School in Cerro Hueso," meanwhile, features on a 6-year-old girl named Ema who is diagnosed on the autism spectrum and enrolls in a new school.

Two other selected films are set in prisons. 

"Caged Birds" is about a young lawyer fighting Switzerland's antiquated prison system in the 1980s. “Night of the Kings” is about a young man who is sent to a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest ruled by its inmates. He is designated by the boss to tell a story to the other prisoners. Learning what fate awaits him, he begins to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named "Zama King" and has no choice but to make his story last until dawn.

Other selected films include "Any Day Now" which tells the story of an Iranian refugee family in Finland waiting to hear whether or not they'll be granted official asylum status. The story is partly based on the childhood experiences of the director.

"A Morning of Farewell" focuses on a doctor named Sawako who works as a physician away from her hometown, but returns home to Shikawa for her father's sake. She obtains a job at a local clinic. The new job and environment make her rethink how to deal with the patients and their families.

“Before Next Spring” is a fresco of the daily life of a group of young Chinese people in a Tokyo suburb.

The organizing committee has selected the best films released after January 1, 2020, from all over the world.

The 2021 BJIFF is directed by the China Film Administration, sponsored by China Media Group (CMG) and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, and organized by the Beijing Municipal Film Administration.