Zhang Huijun: The Beijing Film Festival plays a huge role in China films and culture

The film festival is actually a country's cultural business card and a barometer of the market. It plays a huge role in leading the China film market. The Beijing International Film Festival can allow us to see more good foreign film creations

Zhang Huijun, president of the Beijing Film Academy, has been re-elected as the vice chairman of the Beijing International Film Festival for six times. He was also the earliest promoter and applicant of the festival at that time. "You don't have to worry about growing up with children." In the past five years, the Beijing International Film Festival has grown rapidly and is in full bloom. When interviewed by reporters, Zhang Huijun was pleased and proud,"The film festival is actually a country's cultural business card and a market barometer. It has a huge role in leading the China film market. The Beijing International Film Festival can allow us to see more good foreign film creations, enable China filmmakers and young creators to see the development trend of world films, and enable us to understand how works promote China's traditional culture, express cultural heritage, and influence the world through soft power. This is the goal and significance of the Beijing International Film Festival."

Looking back now, the Beijing International Film Festival and the five years of rapid development of the China film market complement each other and achieve each other. Zhang Huijun summarized this prosperous scene and said: "On the one hand, the world is concerned that China's film market is getting better and better. Chinese and foreign filmmakers have gathered in Beijing to cooperate with China on film projects and jointly develop the film market; on the other hand, our own film industry and film market in China are also developing rapidly. Young directors are growing rapidly and the box office is constantly increasing. These things all show that the Beijing International Film Festival has made an indispensable contribution. Its influence, its operation and the cultural radiation it produces have had a huge impact on China films and China culture."

Speaking of the status and influence of the Beijing International Film Festival in the industry, Zhang Huijun believes that although the Beijing International Film Festival started late, it is young; although it is not large in scale, it is influential; although there are not many award-winning works, it has already had a "exemplary and iconic impact" on world film, attracting more young filmmakers and film institutions to participate in and present films every year. "I don't think there is any rush. We must not rush. Cultural things must be done slowly, and influence must be done slowly. Coverage and ultimate energy will emerge later. The most important thing is that everyone is optimistic about Beijing!"

In Zhang Huijun's view, there is another important achievement that cannot be ignored since the Beijing International Film Festival was held, that is, the active cultivation of audiences. "More young people are coming to theaters, especially during the film festival. Through the Beijing screening and the screening of films shortlisted for the Temple of Heaven Award, more young people can understand the situation of Western films. They no longer need to download them. Instead, they can communicate directly through the film festival. Communicate with images and even directors, actors and producers to better understand the charm of film culture."

Talking about the outstanding characteristics and expectations for the 6th Beijing International Film Festival, Zhang Huijun said that the film festival reflects a multicultural influence, and then the in-depth development of internationalization, especially through the film festival to continuously strengthen cooperation with foreign film institutions and filmmakers, and more importantly, to launch some influential and cultural films from China, which is the top priority of the 6th Film Festival. He enthusiastically hopes that domestic films will win awards at the International Film Festival; some young directors will be prominently displayed, allowing them to adapt to the current development of China films and even the world's films. Moreover, through this film festival, foreign film institutions and filmmakers will have a better understanding of the current development of China's film industry and strengthen the construction of the entire China film industry through such exchanges.

Editor: yvonne