The 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) wrapped up at the Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center in Beijing on Saturday. More than 100 celebrities from China and abroad were in attendance.
The closing ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival is held at the Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center in Beijing on April 29, 2023. /BJIFF
Ten prizes of the prestigious Tiantan Awards were announced during the closing ceremony.
The Argentina-Chile coproduction "The Punishment" won the Best Feature Film award. The thriller depicts a couple's frantic search for their missing seven-year-old son, who was left alone by the side of the road as punishment.
Poster of the Argentina-Chile coproduction "The Punishment" /BJIFF
Mexican director Lila Avilés won the Tiantan Award for Best Director for "Totem." Chinese actor Xin Baiqing won the Best Actor award for domestic movie "The Shadowless Tower." Antonia Zegers and Line Renaud took the Best Actress award for "The Punishment" and "Driving Madeleine," which is the first time that the Best Actress award has been given to two actresses simultaneously at the BJIFF.
Lila Avilés wins the Tiantan Award for Best Director for the movie "Totem." /BJIFF
Chinese actor Tian Zhuangzhuang pocketed the Best Supporting Actor while Mexican actress Montserrat Marañón gained the Best Supporting Actress.
Zhang Lyu, Thomas Becka, Piao Songri, and the Chinese movie "The Shadowless Tower" won the Best Screenplay, Best Music, Best Cinematography, and Best Artistic Contribution awards, respectively.
Piao Songri wins the Tiantan Award for Best Cinematography for the Chinese movie "The Shadowless Tower." /BJIFF
As the first international film festival in China to fully resume all in-person activities since the pandemic outbreak, this year's event attracted 1,488 movies from 93 countries and regions to join the competition for the Tiantan Awards.
A number of Chinese and foreign renowned filmmakers sat on the jury, including internationally acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou, President of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival Fernando E. Juan Lima, Chinese Hong Kong director Stanley Kwan, Israeli director Nadav Lapid, Thai director Pimpaka Towira, Chinese actor Zhang Songwen, and Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu.
Led by Chinese director Zhang Yimou (center), the jury members of the Tiantan Awards attend the closing ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival. /BJIFF
From experiencing the era of filming rationing at studios, witnessing the establishment of cinema chains in China, to growing into one of China's most influential directors who ushered in the era of Chinese blockbusters, Zhang Yimou has been keeping acute insights into the market for nearly four decades. At the closing ceremony, the master director was prized the Lifetime Achievement award.
Zhang Yimou (left) gains the Lifetime Achievement award at the closing ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival. /BJIFF
A series of activities were held during the eight-day festival, including themed forums, film workshops and masterclasses, a film carnival, project pitches, and the Beijing Film Panorama screening of more than 180 domestic and foreign films.
As a significant event to promote cultural exchanges in the film circle, the BJIFF aims to boost the industry's confidence and the film market, find the future direction for the Chinese film industry, and inspire filmmakers worldwide. The event has received widespread attention and media exposure.