SIFF NEXT | Review of the First Phase of SIFF NEXT 2021

SIFF Next is initially designed to support new film creators and facilitate the cooperation between film creators, which is also one of its major functions. The SIFF NEXT of Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) comprises of two phases each year to provide multi-dimensional and all-round support for project creation, and serve as a platform for trainees to exchange and learn. The first phase from June 11 to 17 this year has gathered 34 trainees from all over the country. They were divided into three groups, namely producer, screenwriter, and director, to study and discuss in the field of film project venture capital, and they have benefited a lot from this process.

Shortlisted Trainees of SIFF NEXT 2020-2021

Si Niang, the trainee and Producer from the producer group of SIFF NEXT 2020, and She Zeyu, trainee from the director group of SIFF NEXT 2020 and student of the Directing Department of Columbia University, became partners quickly in the first phase of this year’s SIFF NEXT with an aspiration of cooperation. At present, the short film Sai Wei Zhi produced by the duo has finished in Shandong. Not only that, they are also collaborating on another feature film project. In addition, trainees from SIFF NEXT are also found under spotlight at this year's Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival (PYIFF). Zheng Quan (SIFF NEXT 2019), a trainee from the producer group, was selected into the “Work-in-Progress Lab” with the project Linglong under development. Farewell, My Paradise, the film produced by Zhang Jing (SIFF NEXT 2020), the trainee also from the producer group, garnered the “New Currents Award”, entered the “Hidden Dragons” unit, and won the “Special Mention” honor after being shortlisted for the Busan International Film Festival.

She Zeyu (left) and Si Niang at the shooting scene of Sai Wei Zhi

During the seven-day “SIFF Journey”, the organizing committee meticulously planned several communication sessions in different forms for trainees in different groups to get to know each other. The trainees observed and learned the short films of the director team, the stories of the screenwriter group, and the projects under development of the producer team. And young film workers on site also shared their personal confusion about the industry and the future, as well as their experience in actual work.

In addition, the organizing committee also designed and organized another two sections including “Industry General Knowledge Workshop” and “Aspects of SIFF”. Among them, six senior film practitioners, Nai An, Chen Guofu, Du Qingchun, Sonthar Gyal, Cao Jinling, and Geng Jun, were specially invited to SIFF NEXT in the “Industry General Knowledge Workshop” to share their insights into creation, development, and industry. And following that, two industry exchanges on post-production as well as legal affairs on film and television were also arranged. Through the dialogue and the collision of ideas, the trainees deepened their understanding and passion of film project creation.

Swipe left and right to view the scene of trainee exchange

Industry General Knowledge

“A more comprehensive consideration of project positioning and prospects”

Producer Nai An offered “A Production Lesson to Solve Problems”. She encouraged young filmmakers to focus on their “interest” when making films; as a producer, you need to “protect your author as much as possible” and find “the right fund support” for the project. In addition, she also noted that analyzing the market and the audience, and finding ways to get the capital interested in the project are also works a producer should do.

Lecture by Producer Nai An on site

Professor Du Qingchun of the Department of Literature of Beijing Film Academy gave a class on screenwriting related to story development and discussed how to create “audiovisual narrative products” in the film industry. He mentioned frankly that before “the core artist” brings life to the work, the product of popular culture, it is also important to have a dialogue with the audience in the initial concept development stage of the work of film industry.

Director Sonthar Gyal, who has been nominated for SIFF many times with works such as Sun Beaten Path, Gtsangbo, and Ala Changso, shared specially the experience of the small-team shooting mode adopted for the above works. When working with non-professional performers, he often creates in the early stage based on their characteristics, proposing that creators and performers should trust each other. In addition, he suggested that when making movies, newcomers should “create for the sake of creation for the first two works, keep intact your own story, don't have too many distracting thoughts, and don't invest too much. In this way, there will be a virtuous circle.”

Director Sonthar Gyal sharing filming experience

This year, the recommender chairman of SIFF PROJECT this year and director Chen Guofu, told the trainees about his experience in shooting his first feature film, shared his idea about how to cooperate with director as a producer, and suggested young filmmakers “to take industrialization as a requirement and standard”.

Director Chen Guofu sharing shooting experience

Directors Geng Jun, Cao Jinling and Sonthar Gyal attended the Salon of Filmmakers and unveiled their experiences of working with photographers, producers, and performers. They also disclosed their creative processes from inspiration to script and to shooting to trainees. It is worth mentioning that both Geng Jun and Cao Jinling were once trainees of SIFF PROJECT - Manchuria Tiger (SIFF PROJECT 2017) directed by Geng Jun and ANIMA (SIFF PROJECT 2018) directed by Cao Jinling were both shortlisted for SIFF PROJECT. After production, Manchuria Tiger won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Feature Film at the 24th SIFF, and ANIMA became the opening film of this year's Belt and Road Film Week.

The three directors recalled their experiences of working with photographers, producers, and performers, and also shared their creative processes from inspiration to script and to shooting with the trainees. Cao Jinling gave her own advice on how the new director can work with big-name photographers, "As a director, you must have unique ideas about the picture that the film can present. And invite 'masters' to put their efforts into the story."

Trainees from the producer team asked the directors about the question of "what qualities a producer needs to have?" Director Geng Jun expressed his views, "A good producer should be quite able as he/she should have a screenwriter's perspective, and share common ideas with the director in aesthetics. Above all, he/she should not create a false vision for the director, or try to fool the director, because to fool the director is to fool yourself.” As for how to respond to evaluations received in creative process, Director Sonthar Gyal expressed his opinion directly, "Everyone is a different individual, don't feel distressed, and don't take them seriously."

Geng Jun, Sonthar Gyal and Cao Jinling at the event of SIFF NEXT 

Industry Exchange

"Escort" film projects with law and technology

For newcomers in the industry, the potential legal risks and technical obstacles during project development are like hidden reefs. Regarding the legal risks in project development, SIFF NEXT joined hands with the law firm Tsinglaw, which has many years of legal experience in the film and television industry. Attorney Zhu Jingjing was invited to introduce the content of the contract law concerned with film projects, and Attorney Zheng Mingli explained the tax laws related to the film and television industry in great details, allowing trainees to evaluate project positioning in a more comprehensive way.

Lecture by attorney Zhu Jingjing on site

The lecturers received an overwhelming response. Due to the limited on-site sharing time during the event, not all trainees’ questions were answered one by one. SIFF NEXT and Tsinglaw then set up the programme of "Escort for Young Film Worker", that is, Tsinglaw will provide each trainee attending the first phase of SIFF NEXT 2021 with 5 hours of free legal consultancy service within one year after the event. At present, some trainees have obtained relevant legal help through this programme.

Lecture by attorney Zheng Mingli on site

In terms of film technology, as the award-setting party of SIFF NEXT for many years, Shanghai Vivid Digital invited trainees to its Shanghai studio for on-site visits and exchanges.

SIFF NEXT trainees visiting Shanghai Vivid Digital

During the visit, the creative director of Vivid Digital raised several questions to arouse the interests of trainees, and then put forward the concept of "carrying out the work of the later stage in the early stage", and introduced the later stage process and the application of the on-site DIT system to trainees. In the cinema-inspired toning studio, senior toning director Chen Meisuan took films such as So Long, My Son as an example, reproduced the work steps and details of toning for the students on the spot, and answered the technique-related problems proposed by trainees one by one. Immediately after the event, some students from the director group exchanged their ideas about toning with Chen Meisuan on the short film they are currently producing.

Trainees communicating with senior toning director Chen Meiduan

Aspects of SIFF

"Passionate, enthusiastic, full of vitality and motivation"

As in previous years, this year's SIFF NEXT also sketched a rich "Aspects of SIFF " schedule for trainees, organizing the students to explore the four main sections of SIFF, including observing the whole process of public statements of SIFF PROJECT’s "Young Director Project" and "Work in Progress Project", visiting the SIFF Market, attending the industry release event of SIFF PROJECT, and participating in the SIFFORUM. It is intended to help trainees gain a more comprehensive and complete understanding of the different sections, functions, and participation methods of SIFF through an immersive experience, and to further launch the stepped newcomer support platform of SIFF.

Trainees at the event scenes of SIFF

 "Passionate, enthusiastic, full of vitality and motivation" is how trainees from all corners of the country are impressed by the first phase of SIFF NEXT, where they have harvested unsparing instructions from the instructors, and like-minded partners in film creation.

SIFF NEXT

SIFF NEXT is one of the units dedicated to the incubation of film newcomers at the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). Instead of being project-oriented, SIFF NEXT pays more attention to individual emerging film workers by introducing them to the industry, and providing support for them to complete their first and second feature films. It is comprised of two phases, held in June and December respectively each year. The first phase is held during SIFF. The shortlisted trainees will participate in "Training Workshop",  film exhibitions, forums, and other major events of SIFF. While gaining the experience at SIFF, they will have the opportunities to communicate with domestic first-line film workers, exploit industry resources, and enrich practical experience to prepare for the development of new projects. The second phase “Development Workshop” will be held in December in the same year. Feature film projects and scripts will be solicitated from the former shortlisted trainees, and about 6 projects will be selected to participate in activities in the second phase. At that time, senior film workers will be invited as mentors. For the shortlisted projects from the trainees, they will provide in-depth guidance on scripts, development and casting, and select 2 winning projects to grant the qualification for the next SIFF PROJECT.

For the next generation of filmmakers

And for the next generation of film

SIFF NEXT 2021

Development Workshop: 2021.12

SIFF NEXT 2021

Trainee Application: 02.15-03.15, 2022

siffnext@siff.com

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