2024 SIFFORUM Agenda

2024 SIFFORUM AGENDA

2024 SIFFORUM will be held from June 14-22. SIFFORUM invites representatives of the film industry to engage in dialogues and discussions from the perspectives of industrial pattern, technological innovation, talent cultivation, and cultural exchanges, etc., and offer advice and suggestions for the high-quality development of the film and television industry.

Action! Her Time - Embrace And Reshape

Time: 14:00-15:30

Date: Friday, June 14, 2024

Venue: Victory Cinema

On the silver screen, an increasing number of female characters outshine dazzlingly, pursuing their self-worth with a fearless attitude. Behind the scenes, female filmmakers, with their extraordinary talent and unique perspectives, defy clichés and embrace themselves at the present moment, documenting the growth and changes of modern women through cinematic languages and redefining the true meaning of female empowerment. This forum will convene renowned filmmakers to share their insights into female topics from their own creative endeavors, centering around the power of women who are wise, firm and unfettered.

Moderator: Yanhong SHENG | Film Producer, Film Critic, the Founder of Shanghai Jingshu Culture Media Co.,Ltd.

Guest Speakers:

Yedda CHEN | The President and CEO of Wanda Film

Haiyan QIN | Director, Scriptwriter

Biao SU | Director, Scriptwriter

Congcong TENG | Director, Scriptwriter

Ava WANG | Actress

Co-Organizer   DIOR

*Invitation Only.

Opening Session: New Horizons in Film - Embracing Innovation and Diversity

Time: 10:00-12:00

Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

The film market experienced a robust recovery in 2023, seeing a significant increase in box office revenue and increasingly diverse marketing strategies, and the importance of film reception has become more pronounced. Looking ahead, how will filmmakers continue making high-quality films, providing audiences with more acclaimed works of different genres? How will technological innovation transform the film industry? How will differentiated distribution mechanisms bring new vitality to the film market? What are the new trends of international film collaboration? This forum invites leading figures of film enterprises and internationally renowned filmmakers to share wisdom and insights for the continuous development of global film industry, and the new landscape of international cooperation.

Moderator: HUANGFU Yichuan | The President of China Film News, President and Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Cinema

Guest Speakers:

GUAN Hu | Director, Scriptwriter, Executive Producer

Shozo Ichiyama | Programming Director, Tokyo International Film Festival

LI Shaohong | Director

LI Jie | President of Alibaba Pictures

Fernando Juan Lima | President of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival 

Daniel Manwaring | IMAX China CEO

WANG Changtian | Chairman of Enlight Media

WANG Jianer | Vice Chairman of China Film Association, Chairman of Shanghai Film (Group) Co., Ltd. (SFG) , and the Chairman of Shanghai Film Co., Ltd (SFC)

Wuershan | Director

Catherine YING | Vice President of CMC Inc., President of CMC Pictures and Pearl Studio

YU Dong | Founder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Bona Film Group Co., Ltd

The Belt and Road Film Culture Roundtable Talk

Time: 15:00-17:00

Date: Sunday, June 16, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

Launched by the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance now has 55 members from 48 countries. In 2023, the alliance was included in the list of multilateral cooperation achievements and practical cooperation projects of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. This forum invites representatives of alliance members, industry professionals, and international filmmakers to celebrate the fruitful results of the Belt and Road Film Tour, engage in in-depth discussions on topics such as industry trends, overseas film promotion, cross-cultural cooperation, and cultivating emerging talents. Together, they will envision the future of film exchange and collaboration and reinterpret the Silk Road spirit of “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit” through cinema.

Moderator: Andrew LIANG | Actor, TV Host

Guest Speakers:

CHEN Guo | Managing Director, Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals

João Dorminsky | Executive Director, Fantasporto - Porto International Film Festival

Catherine Fitzgerald | Board Member, New Zealand International Film Festival

HONG Ying | Writer, Director

Franco Liu Hui | Independent Producer

Nina Rodriguez | Guanajuato International Film Festival, Head of Programming

Ilda Santiago | Executive Director - Programming, Festival do Rio

SHI Chuan | Professor of Shanghai Theater Academy

ZHANG Yudi | Director, Screenwriter

New Practices in Film Distribution

Time: 10:00-12:00

Date: Monday, June 17, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

Amid phenomena such as the clustering of film release dates and insufficient supply in the current film market, this forum aims to address topics such as achieving a regular supply of diverse and high-quality films to meet the varied needs of audiences, leveraging changes in audience data to formulate targeted marketing strategies, as well as ensuring scientifically and reasonably scheduled release dates, supporting different types of films and boosting overall box office performance. Scholars are invited to analyze the current trends of film distribution and differentiated distribution mechanisms such as segmented, audience-specific, and region-specific strategies. Additionally, industry representatives will discuss the new practices in film distribution that is all the more refined, diversified, and market-oriented, to propel high-quality and sustainable development of the Chinese film market.

Moderator: PENG Kan | Lecturer, School of Art and Media, Beijing Normal University

Guest Speakers:

JIA Zhangke | Director, Scriptwriter, Producer

Boris Pugnet | Partner of Heylight

QI Hai | Vice President of Guangdong Motion Picture Industry Association, Supervisor of Planning of Guangzhou Qinggong Cinema

Takeuchi Ryo | Documentary Director

Felix WU | CEO Shanghai Dax Pictures Co., Ltd. Founder & CEO

Zifia ZHI | Chinese National Academy of Arts, Professor

ZHOU Yong | Manager, Distribution Department, HUAXIA Film Distribution Co., Ltd.

Artificial Intelligence + Film, New Vision and New Productivity for Sci-Fi Films

Time: 10:30-12:00

Date: Monday, June 17, 2024

Venue: The Wonderland Grand Ballroom, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland

The booming evolution of artificial intelligence is ushering in fresh empowerment to all walks of life, along with brand new opportunities and challenges for the film industry. From advancements like last year’s ChatGPT to this year’s text-to-video application Sora, the intelligent content production technology is rapidly iterating, and at the same time, the rapid development of AI technology has brought new contemplation on sci-fi film creation. This forum, themed “Artificial Intelligence + Film”, will zoom in on the opportunities and challenges brought by AI to the film industry, and explore the iteration and change of sci-fi films in terms of cinematic narrative, aesthetic experience and emotional connection.

Moderator: Andrew LIANG | Actor, TV Host

Guest Speakers:

DAI Bo | Scientist in Artificial Intelligence, Doctoral Supervisor, Expert in AIGC Digital Content Generation

DONG Runnian | Director, Scriptwriter

HUANG Jianxin | Director, Scriptwriter, Executive Producer

HUO Tingxiao | Vice Chairman of the China Film Association, Vice President of the Science Fiction Film Committee of the China Film Association, President of the China Film Art Society

Shoji Kawamori | Animation Director, Mechanical Designer, Vision Creator

WANG Hongwei | Secretary General of the China Film Director's Guild, Chairman of the Science Fiction Film Committee of the China Film Association, Associate Professor of the Department of Film Directing at Beijing Film Academy

WANG Jinkang | Science Fiction Writer, Senior Engineer, Honorary Director of the China Science Writers' Association

Emerging Power of Hong Kong Cinema in Conversation with Derek Yee

Time: 14:30-15:30

Date: Monday, June 17, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

Film, as a widely popular medium, offers vast opportunities for young talents. However, it is not easy to stand out among numerous newcomers. This forum invites veteran director Derek Yee and emerging actors from Hong Kong to share their thoughts and experiences. The focus of the discussion revolves around the opportunities and challenges encountered in the Hong Kong and Mainland China film markets. The forum supports new voices in Hong Kong cinema, stimulates the creative potential of young filmmakers and provides more possibilities to young talents which injects innovative vitality into the film market.

Moderator: GUO Wei | Anchorwoman for CCTV-6 Movie Channel

Guest Speakers:

Henick Chou | Actor

Kevin Chu | Actor

Natalie Hsu | Actress

Leung Chung Hang | Actor

Rachel Leung | Actress

Yoyo Tse | Actress

Louise Wong | Actress

Yee Tung-Sing Derek | Film Producer, Director and Screenwriter in Hong Kong, China

                                    Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Awards Association 

                                    Honorary President of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild 

                                    Hong Kong Film Awards Best Screenplay and Best Director Awards Winner

Renci Yeung | Actress

Co-organizers  Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR ; Hong Kong Film Development Council

The Potential and Imagination of Global Diversified IP Development

Time: 10:00-12:00

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

Over the past decade, the world has seen an increasing number of Chinese IPs making their mark internationally and playing a crucial role in China's “Going Global" cultural strategy. This forum brings together industry leaders and top talents from China's IP film and television sector, along with prominent experts in international IP development and operations, to explore how Chinese IPs can seize the growing opportunities for global development. This event aims to identify strategies and pathways for cooperation between Chinese IPs and the global entertainment industry, and to spur new growth in the wider cultural industry by providing a space for IP holders, merchandise developers, cultural tourism businesses, and platforms and networks to share their insights and experiences.

Moderator: Andrew LIANG | Actor, TV Host

Guest Speakers:

William FENG | Vice President of Asia Pacific & Head of Greater China, MPA

Vincent LIU | Director, Commercial & Licensing affairs, Three Body Universe

LU Beike | Director

Kurt Rieder | Senior Vice President of Theatrical Distribution (APAC), Warner Bros. Discovery

SHEN Li | CEO of Hangzhou Huaxing Chuangye Communication Technology Co., Ltd.

Ann WANG | General Manager of Commercialization of Tencent Video

WANG Changtian | Chairman of Enlight Media

XIONG Junjie | Head of Interactive Video Deparment of PICO

Vasco XU | Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Conqueror Entertainment

Ticky ZHANG | Vice President of Shanghai Fengyuzhu Culture Technology Company

ZHAO Jilong | CEO of the Three-Body Universe

(Full guest speakers list to be determined)

Co-Organizer   Three-Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd.

Fusion and Symbiosis: Cinema and the City

Time: 13:30-15:30

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

As an audiovisual art form, cinema intricately captures the soul of a city with a unique allure, while narrating the flourishing and evolution of its culture. This panel invites celebrated filmmakers, writers, and artists to explore the relationship between cities, films, and filmmakers. It will provide an in-depth analysis of urban elements in art, examining how the cityscapes are portrayed in films from historical, cultural, and artistic perspectives. The discussions will delve into how film and city mutually shape and influence each other, provoking profound reflections on the historical roots and contemporary values of cities, with the prospect to inspire and support young filmmakers to carry forward the legacy of film art, and chronicle the city and urban life with cinema.

Moderator:  ZHOU Yijun | Documentary Director, Writer

Guest Speakers:

Cameron Bailey | CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival

CHEN Danyan | Novelist, Documentary Director

LUO Dong | Director

SHA Dan | Programmer at China Film Archive

YANG Fudong | Director, Artist

Asian New Talent & Asian Cinema Panel

Time: 10:00-12:00

Date: Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Venue: Jin Jue Ballroom, Crowne Plaza Shanghai

2024 coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Asian New Talent section of Golden Goblet Awards at Shanghai International Film Festival. This panel will feature the former jury members, award winners and nominees to discuss the role of Asian New Talent in promoting emerging filmmakers to the global stage, and the opportunities and challenges faced by emerging filmmakers, highlighting SIFF’s focus on “Asia, Chinese Film, and Newcomers”. Also, renowned Asian filmmakers and professionals are invited to discuss filmmaking, talent cultivation, and the future of Asian cinema, promoting exchange and cooperation across the Asian film industry.

Roundtable 1: Asian New Talent Panel

Moderator: SHENG Yanhong | Film Producer, Film Critic, the Founder of Shanghai Jingshu Culture Media Co.,Ltd.

Guest Speakers: 

Reza Dormishian | Director, Scriptwriter

LI Xiaofeng | Director, Scriptwriter, Producer

LIU Juan | Director, Writer

SHEN Yang | Producer

Roundtable 2: Asian Cinema Panel

Organized by Alibaba Pictures

Moderator: Andrew LIANG | Actor, TV Host

Guest Speakers: 

HUANG Jianxin | Director, Scriptwriter, Executive Producer

Shunji Iwai | Director, Scriptwriter

Genki Kawamura | Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Author

Bill Kong | President of Edko Films Limited

LI Jie | President of Alibaba Pictures