Belt and Road Film Tour | Best Film of SIFF Asian New Talent, FRIDAY, FUNFAIR, Debuts at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland

Recently, the Chinese film FRIDAY, FUNFAIR, a recommendation from Shanghai International Film Festival’s Belt and Road Film Tour mechanism, was selected for the special screening section of the 12th Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland and engaged with audiences on December 4 local time.

Poster of FRIDAY, FUNFAIR

Directed by Zeng Zhi, featuring Ying Ze in the leading role alongside Kong Xiangyu, Lai Man, Liu Jingyu, and Li Meixian, the film is a coming-of-age story about women. Through the reflection of male perspectives, the director presents the survival struggles of middle-aged women caught between societal pressures. Ying Ze portrays the protagonist, who, amidst various challenges, reveals an inner resilience that ultimately leads her to overcome personal obstacles and reclaim her voice in life.

Still from FRIDAY, FUNFAIR

The film was previously nominated in the WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP) section of SIFF PROJECT 2023 and won Best Film in the Asian New Talent section at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. Zeng Zhi has mentioned that this is a relatively light and compact story. When her orderly life suddenly goes off track, the protagonist edges toward a breakdown amid emotional turmoil, sustained only by her promise to take her daughter to the amusement park on Fridays, which repeatedly pulls her back to reality and ultimately leads her to a journey of self-redemption.

 “I am interested in a certain group of people, which drives me to explore their past experiences, current struggles, and future development.” During the creation process, Zeng Zhi drew from his own work experiences and life observations, immersing himself in the female perspective by stepping into the characters’ situations and understanding the daily pressures faced by middle-aged women, giving the film a unique charm among similar themes.

The Silk Road International Film Festival, established in 2012 and held annually in Dublin, is accredited by the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) and is highly regarded internationally. It is also a member of the Shanghai International Film Festival’s Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance. It aims to promote international exchange among filmmakers, showcasing not only international films but also those from the ancient trade route countries along the Silk Road, including nations in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and Europe, thereby bridging cultures through quality cinema.

The Silk Road International Film Festival has maintained strong collaborative ties with Shanghai International Film Festival. Since joining the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance in 2018, several Chinese films, including ALA CHANGSO, GIRLS ALWAYS HAPPY, and THE SWING MAKER, have been showcased at the festival.

The Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, initiated by Shanghai International Film Festival’s organizing committee, was established in 2018 and now includes 55 member organizations from 48 countries. Under the backdrop of the “Belt and Road” Initiative, the alliance focuses on film recommendations and filmmaker visits, enhancing curatorial capabilities, fostering mutual understanding among filmmakers, promoting co-production projects, strengthening cultural exchanges, and establishing a robust information-sharing mechanism while exploring future development models for film festivals. Civilizations enrich each other through exchange and mutual learning. Since its establishment, the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance has collaborated with the Publicity Department of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee (Pudong New Area Administration of Culture and Tourism) and the Administrative Committee of Shanghai International Resort to host the Belt and Road Film Week, creating the Belt and Road Film Tour mechanism that effectively promotes bilateral exchanges of filmmakers and cinematic cultures among countries along the route, significantly enhancing cultural connectivity and mutual understanding among the nations involved.