2019-03-13

From Tokyo to Osaka: the successful Chinese Film Festival -Film 2019 came to an end

The Chinese Film Festival -Film 2019 concluded in Osaka on March 10. The exhibition screened 6 newly-released Chinese films in Tokyo and Osaka from March 6, bringing a Chinese film craze in Japan. The event is part of the Chinese-Japanese Film Festival.

The Chinese-Japanese Film Festival started the round of Chinese Film Festival-Film 2019 in March after holding the Japanese Film Festival in Shanghai and Chengdu in January. The film LOST, FOUND unveiled the Chinese Film Festival-Film 2019 in Tokyo on March 6.When the event came to Osaka on March 9, the deliberative officer of the Agency for Culture Affairs of Japan Naito Minya, the Chinese Consul General in Osaka LI Tianran and the vice director of the SIFF center WANG Ye participated in the opening ceremony in UMEDA BRUG 7 cinema and delivered speeches.

Chinese and Japanese guests in the opening ceremony of Chinese New Production Exhibition-Film 2019

The exhibition held 6 fans meetings after screening in the two cities within only5 days, where Chinese crews including MA Yili, SHEN Teng and Sonthar Gyal communicated with local audiences directly.

The actress of LOST, FOUND and THE ROAD NOT TAKEN MA Yili in a fan meeting

The first movie screened in Osaka is the “Shanghai-produced” PEGASUS, one of the most popular films in the 2019 Chinese Spring Festival. It is about how a former race champion who cooks fried rice on his stall tries to return to the rally despite all the adverseness. This is HAN Han’s second film in the exhibition. In 2018, DUCKWEED, directed by HAN Han, was also introduced through this event to the Japanese audience and well received.

Before the screening, SHEN Teng, the leading actor of PEGASUS said that he received a fan’s letter as soon as he arrived at Osaka which was too valuable for him to open because this was the only one he got. He hoped that he could have more fans and letters after the screening. He had a heated interaction with the audience in the fans meeting. He said, “I am a highly-skilled racer now. Before the movie, I had two driving licenses-normal and drifting. Then I went for professional training and passed the field driving test for PEGASUS, so now I have 3 licenses.” In addition, he talked about the director HAN Han, who is also a pro racer and the Grand Champion of an auto rally for 6 times. HAN Han taught SHEN Teng a lot about motions in detail during the shooting, and “it is not just about showing good postures to the audience, but more importantly, making the film a professional one from the perspective of the rally industry.”

The leading actor of PEGASUS SHEN Teng in the fans meeting

The Japanese audience wanted to know more about the Bayanbulak Grassland where part of the film was made. SHEN Teng said with laughter, “the local lamb was so delicious but the working condition was quite harsh. As an actor, I wanted to finish my work early, but I always had the feeling that I was working because the daylight there was so long.”Frank and humorous, his words made the audience laugh.

Sonthar Gyal, director of ALA CHANGSO, told the audience in the fans meeting that all his works participated in SIFF and had close ties with Japan. This film he directed will also be screened in Japan next year. ALA CHANGSO (directed by Sonthar Gyal, produced by LIAO Xi and starred by Yungdrung Gyal and Nyima Sungsung) won both the Grand Prix Award and Best Screenplay Award of the 21st SIFF, allowing viewers to enjoy a new and unique experience, which examined the story of a Tibetan reorganized family in a delicate and special way. With SIFF recommendation, the film managed to participate in a number of international film festivals since last June, such as Vancouver International Film Festival, Philippines Quezon City International Film Festival and Estonia Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. ALA CHANGSO won the Best Director and Best Actress Awards in the 7th Silk Road International Film Festival in Dublin, Ireland, not long ago.

Sonthar Gyal, the director of ALA CHANGSO, answered questions from the audiences.

As the cast and credits rolled on the screen, Chinese Film Festival-Film 2019 came to the end, marking the conclusion of the second Chinese-Japanese Film Festival. Since 2015, SIFF has cooperated with Tokyo International Film Festival through the World Express cooperation mechanism, and build bridges for Sino-Japan film and culture communication and cooperation by means of mutual recommendation for competition, filmmaker participation, and film promotion. The Chinese-Japanese Film Festival, jointly organized by SIFF’s standing body –Shanghai International Film &TV Festival Center, TIFF’s Organizer –UNIJAPAN, and the Japan Foundation, is another innovative cooperation model following the World Express.