Talking about "Harmony but Differences", Chinese and foreign judges conduct the final evaluation unit of their works face-to-face at the Shanghai Film Festival | Judges | Chinese and foreign judges

While waiting for the elevator at the main venue of the Shanghai International Film Festival, Polish director Jez Skolimovski, who was also a judge for the Golden Earl competition unit, and Indian director and actor Randita Dass happily communicated in English, like old friends they had not met in a long time. The Chairman of the Jury Committee for the Golden Jubilee Animation Unit and Japanese animation producer, Taro Maki, walked into the media conference room. The first thing he did when he sat down was to take out his phone and take photos of himself on stage, as a souvenir for his trip to Shanghai.

The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival welcomed the offline return of all sectors, with judges from 12 countries and regions conducting face-to-face final evaluations of 53 shortlisted works, many of whom were first-time visitors to Shanghai. This year's Golden Earl Awards are full of color, but compared to the intense competition and evaluation results, what is even more touching is that on the stage of the Shanghai International Film Festival, Chinese and foreign filmmakers can finally sit shoulder to shoulder and have a conversation. Their communication makes people feel the significance of mutual learning and harmony among civilizations.

International filmmakers are re engaging in face-to-face communication

For the first time in Shanghai, many filmmakers coincidentally paid attention to the streets and cuisine. "In India, Chinese food is very popular. I am curious about the city, people, and food." Randita Das, who has served as a judge at the European Film Festival, believes that at the Shanghai International Film Festival, filmmakers from different cities and countries with different experiences sit together and discuss food. This is life. "Movies are a reflection of reality. Our tastes may differ, and we need to find commonalities."

Japanese director Kei Ishikawa is one of the judges for the Asian newcomer unit at the Golden Jubilee Awards. His film "A Certain Man" is the closing film of the 27th Busan International Film Festival and also one of the popular films screened at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival. "My first impression of Shanghai is that the food is very delicious and the streets are very beautiful." Kei Ishikawa believes that selecting awards together with other international filmmakers is a great opportunity for learning and communication. "I am looking forward to seeing the forefront of Asian cinema here."

"Before coming, I did a lot of homework about Shanghai cuisine." Lu Yang, a judge for the Asian newcomer unit and Chinese director and screenwriter, is always looking forward to every time he comes to Shanghai. After arriving in Shanghai, Lu Yang rode his bike around to see what delicious food he could recommend to other judges. "We quickly got together, and under the leadership of Judge Aktan Abdkarekov and Judge Xu Yuezhen, the atmosphere was very good. After watching the film, without any arrangements from the organizing committee, we took the initiative to discuss and had a great time."

"The Shanghai International Film Festival has been with us for 30 years, accompanying our growth and career." In the opinion of the main competition unit judge and guide Wen Yan, "The film festival requires a very long time of persistence to do well. It won't be the first day to achieve legend, it will take decades to become the temple that everyone yearns for." She believes that although this is a competition in film, the essence of art is not competition, but communication and exchange. "Today we are judges, and tomorrow we will participate in another competition with our works, seeking similarities and differences, expressing our understanding of the world. There is no win or lose, only win-win."

"I have always had a deep feeling for Shanghai." In an interview, Jiao Xiongping, a producer and producer in Taiwan, China, China, appeared in black. This veteran film maker was the chairman of the short film unit jury. What impressed her the most was the international nature of the Shanghai International Film Festival. She talked to the reporter about a wonderful little episode. Jazz Skolimovsky was her idol while studying in the United States. "I have never had the opportunity to communicate with him, and I feel that at my age, I am no longer embarrassed to be a 'movie fan'. However, a few days ago, when the judges were having a dinner and taking photos, I actually lined up with him. When I said this, he and his wife were very happy because I could tell him about the movies he made when he was young, and everyone resonated. In Jiao Xiongping's view, the Shanghai Film Festival is a 'reunion' occasion. 'I, judges Song Jia, and Yang Zishan are old friends who haven't seen each other for a long time.'"

The benefit of a film festival is to broaden one's horizons

As the only international A-class film festival in China, the Shanghai International Film Festival brings rare excellent films and new works from all over the world to Shanghai, and also pushes Chinese cinema to the forefront of the world, integrating Chinese and foreign cultures, and promoting cultural exchange.

The 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival featured a special screening of the representative work of the late Japanese animation director Konmin in the "Salute to the Masters" section, which was hard to come by at that time. Maki Taro once served as a producer for Immin's "Millennium Actress" and "The Godfather of Tokyo". When asked about the story of his collaboration with Immin, Maki Taro was slightly surprised. "He has been dead for over 10 years, and I didn't expect anyone to ask me such a question again in Japan. I often wonder what kind of works Immin would create if she were still alive. I am glad that his works can now receive more attention and recognition in countries outside of Japan."

Aktan Abdkarekov, the chairman of the judging committee for the Asian New Unit, comes from Kyrgyzstan. From the films that were nominated for the Asian New Unit, he felt the good trend of Asian film development. "Many new people have emerged, and they have many new ideas. The film industry in Kyrgyzstan has developed rapidly in recent years, and I am very pleased to see more Asian films participate in the Shanghai International Film Festival."

"The story cannot be separated from emotions, and emotions that can move people are the most important. Chinese mythological themes should not be the threshold for foreign judges. I will view the entries with a professional perspective and consider them from an equal perspective," said Huang Jiakang, a judge for the animation unit and Hong Kong director

"The benefit of a film festival is to broaden one's horizons." Jiao Xiongping said that in terms of award classification, the Shanghai International Film Festival is very international. "I encourage young directors to participate more in the international film festival, because here you will face a lot of challenges from journalists and critics. Directors who have been baptized by the international film festival will make great progress in their thinking and aesthetics, as well as in their creativity."

This year, tickets for director Hou Xiaoxian's "City of Sorrow" were sold out at the Shanghai Film Festival, becoming one of the hottest films, despite the fact that the film was born more than 30 years ago. Back then, Jiao Xiongping accompanied Hou Xiaoxian to the Venice Film Festival and ultimately won the Golden Lion Award. "Young directors nowadays have more resources and better technical conditions than we did back then. I really hope everyone can explore new perspectives and aesthetics in the present." Jiao Xiongping said, "For filmmakers, what is more important is to 'watch movies'.".