The SIFF Announces the Full List of its Competition Film

The Shanghai International Film Festival has released the second batch of competition films for the Golden Goblet, Asia New Talent, and Media Award. Golden Goblet Award entries include Time Bends by Portuguese director Alberto Seixas Santos, Rest on Your Shoulders directed by Jacob Cheung from HK China, The Yuong Man Sings Folk Songs in the Opposite Door directed by Chinese mainland director Zhang Ming, and Mr. Tree directed by Han Jie from mainland China.

Master and new directors for The Golden Goblet Award

There are seven films in the second batch from Portugal, German, Thailand, Albania, and China. Alberto Seixas Santos, director of Time Bends, is a member of Novo Cinema (New Cinema) and also one of the founders of the Portuguese Cinema Center. Brandos Costumes, his first feature-film, was selected to the official competition of the Berlin International Film Festival. His most recent feature-film, MAL (1999), was nominated for a Golden Lion at the 1999 Venice Film Festival and also received the Best Film Award at the 2000 Coimbra Caminhos do Cinema Português.

Recently, Thai films have been getting much attention in international film circles. Friday Killer from Yuthlert Sippapak is full of suspense and emotion. Good Neighbour, by Stephan Rick, who works as an independent director, lets us consider friendship and atonement. Albanian director Pluton Vasi brings Maya an inspiring story filled with passion.

About the three Chinese movies, they all have their own features. Rest on Your Shoulders is directed by Jacob Cheung from HK China who is the leading figure of HK New Film movement. It stars Chen Kun and Lun-mei Guey in a modern treatment of Butterfly Lovers. New director Zhang Ming portrays the regional culture of the southern Shanxi province, China through the love theme. Mr. Tree by Han Jie not only successfully enters the competition of the Golden Goblet Award but was also in the Pitch & Catch last year.

The 14th SIFF has 16 entries from fourteen countries. The jury panel is Barry Levinson, Anh Hung Tran, Christophor Hampton, Yoichi Sai, Paz Vega, Wang Quan\'an and Zhang Jingchu. Winners will be announced on the award and closing ceremony on June 19.

New Directors Shine at the Asia New Talent Award

As a standard award after the Golden Goblet Award, the Asia New Talent Award (ANTA) was established in 2004. Continually seeking out and promoting emerging Asian talent to stimulate the regionâ?™s industry, the organizing committee attaches great importance to this award. RMB 300,000 is allocated to the winner of Best Film and Best Director.

This year\'s ANTA is more popular than ever, and an increasing number of production companies are promoting new directors. Judging from the quality of entries, new Asian directors are developing rapidly and showing their own style and film language.

Shunji Iwai chairs the jury panel and other members are Derek Elley, Xia Yu from mainland China, Alex Law from HK, and Lun-mei Guey from Taiwan. The award ceremony will be held on the evening of June 17.

Media Award Will Be the Platform for Domestic Films

This award was co-founded by the SIFF and the film channel center of the State Administration for Radio, Film and TV, aiming to support the domestic film industry.

The entries are The Seal of Love ,The Piano in A Factory, The Devil Inside Me, One Wrong Step, Memory of Love, A Disappearing Village, To My Wife, The Young Man Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door, and Mr.Tree.

The Media Award will show films and main producers will attend. The Special Jury and registered journalists can give grades and the winners will be announced at the June 18th ceremony.