Guan Ho’s win in the In Certain Regard section at Cannes this year grabbed the headlines – and deservedly so.
One of the true stars of China’s sixth generation of filmmakers who emerged in the early 1990s, Hu, 56, has found a sweet spot over the past three decades that has allowed him to balance a career making commercial films. gives His financial survival, such as the heart-pounding war epic, and the more edgy and personal films that satisfy his creative urges.
This was the case with the latter, with the dark comedy telling the harrowing tale of an ex-miner returning to his rural hometown to restart his life. Gu’s win continued a tradition that dates back to the 1990s and has seen the sixth generation dominate international festivals and awards since thanks to the likes of Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai and Diao Yinan.
But 2024 has shown that maybe times are about to change. Over the past year, a new breed of lowlights from China has emerged on the festival circuit, part of a growing trend among young filmmakers that sees them making vividly personal films about contemporary life in the country.
Jiang Xiaoxuanhis first feature, had its world premiere in the Venice Days section at the Venice Film Festival. The NYU Tisch School of the Arts film graduate returns to her Inner Mongolia homeland to tell a story that revolves around a local horseman (played by first-time actor Saina) who is torn between giving her life to contemporary society. is — and its economic opportunities — or living traditions that have been passed down through the generations.
“The film is a love letter to my country – perhaps a sad one – and a document of a significant change in my friend’s life,” the filmmaker explained, referring to his lead actor. “Being able to bring this story to the world and to an audience that cares about stories like this gives me immense hope. For me, reimagining and reimagining a story that is so true to reality is so exciting. In ways that mirror that, it gives me and my generation a chance to revisit the path we are currently taking and potentially give us agency to shape our future.
Jiang won the Writers Under 40 award for best director and screenwriting in Venice, and is up for best director and best film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on November 30.
Beijing-based producer Annie Song attended this year’s CHANEL X Busan International Film Festival Asian Film Academy, a 20-day event hosted by Asia’s largest film festival designed to highlight talent from the region. is After producing four of the eight short films the students were required to make, he was named co-winner of the initiative’s most promising filmmaker award.
Earlier, the song had its world premiere in July at the First International Film Festival – China’s leading platform for young independent filmmakers – in the central Chinese city of Zhenning. Directed by its star Chen Yusha, the film follows the fate of a young woman dealing with a broken heart and the growing demands of adulthood.
“I believe the Chinese film industry has reached a turning point,” she says. “An increasing number of young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds are emerging, and the industry is starting to recognize their talent. More financing forums and market events are being organized to create opportunities and platforms where Young filmmakers can develop their own projects and where production companies can associate with them.
Among several upcoming films that were highlights of this year’s FIFF — and Song believes it’s a growing trend of often personal stories — one she says has its roots in the pandemic era.
“The experience of COVID-19 inspired this generation to reflect and focus on their own stories, which led to new ideas,” she says. “As a result, more low-budget, high-quality films are being made. The diversity is reflected not only in the content but also in the style of filmmaking, with young filmmakers boldly experimenting and challenging and innovating.” Develop your own unique strategy.
First-time director Zhang Xue was also at Busan and FIFF, and his upcoming drama had its world premiere at the Shanghai Film Festival in June. The feature follows a young woman trying to make her way in the world after failing her college entrance exam. It proved popular with audiences in Busan, where it was featured in the special Teen Spirit, Teen Movie section.
Zhang believes that Korean audiences recognized his themes of ethnic conflict in families and the unique pressures felt by college entrance exams held in South Korea and China.
“I think Chinese audiences have an enthusiasm and a strong interest in stories that reflect contemporary Chinese life,” says Zhang. “After experiencing rapid growth in the past few decades, Chinese society has entered a new phase. Audiences are also eager for films to bring stories directly related to their current lives into this new phase. Over the years, films with realistic themes have been very popular in the mainstream Chinese market.
As Zhang and Song director Qiu Yang drew on their experiences for their debut feature, which tells the story of a mother whose seemingly perfect life is thrown into chaos when she inadvertently kills her daughter. Injures a friend’s grandmother. It won the Special Jury Prize in the Horizons section at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
“I remember the audience being curious as to why a male director would want to tell a story about an unhappy middle-aged housewife, which I said was more or less inspired by my own mother. is,” says Kew.
But with a domestic theatrical release, and everyone waiting, Cue, for one, doesn’t believe that the festival acclaim will bring the box office back home.
“I’m not too sure about that,” he says. “For films that are less sexy, that are about the normal lives of ordinary people, I think people are less interested in them domestically and internationally.”
Regardless, Jiang hopes that China’s new filmmakers will continue to expand their horizons.
“I hope for the best,” she says. “I hope that a younger generation will redefine the current cinematic landscape and be bold, open and ready to adapt.”
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