Film Festival Leaders at Shanghai Forum Champion New Talent Discovery
10 reported
The leaders of the Berlin, Toronto, and Hong Kong film festivals gathered in Shanghai on Sunday to discuss the role of festivals in discovering new talent, emphasizing personal connection over data. Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlin Film Festival, argued that discovery and connection are the twin pillars justifying festivals in an age of algorithms. Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto Film Festival, highlighted TIFF’s role as a launchpad for films like “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Martian,” and noted a new market launching in September. Albert Lee, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, traced HKIFF’s history as a bridge between Chinese-language and international cinema. Shanghai International Film Festival Center director Chen Guo announced upgrades to talent infrastructure, including a new mobile-phone filmmaking workshop. Producer Janet Yang and director Wen Muye also spoke, with Wen describing the creative process as an antidote to loneliness. A subsequent panel discussed the limits of formula in filmmaking, with executives noting that audiences are always ahead of trends.
What’s reported
Tricia Tuttle said Berlinale’s talent program draws applications from more than 100 countries and brings 200 emerging filmmakers to Berlin each year.
Cameron Bailey noted that “The Martian” generated roughly $600 million globally after its Toronto bow.
Bailey recounted that Christopher Nolan arrived at TIFF in 1998 with his low-budget debut “Following.”
TIFF is launching a market running Sept. 10-16 with more than 9,000 square meters of exhibition space, 120 exhibitors, and roughly 6,000 industry delegates.
Albert Lee noted that Chen Kaige’s “Yellow Earth” had its international premiere at HKIFF’s ninth edition in 1985.
HKIFF’s Fire Bird Awards competition carries Oscar qualifying status for short and documentary categories.
Chen Guo announced that 41 of 49 films across SIFF’s five Golden Goblet Award competition sections this year are world premieres, an 84% world premiere rate.
Wen Muye chairs the SIFF YOUNG selection panel and announced nine filmmakers chosen from 59 eligible candidates.
Li Jie, CEO of Damai Entertainment, said the film “Dear You” traced back to a relationship built over multiple Chaoshan dialect films, the earliest grossing around 40 million yuan.
Wang Jun previewed that Shanghai Film Group’s Kunpeng Plan has four projects in development, including animator Li Wenyu’s “A Story About Fire.”
Key figures
Tricia Tuttle, director of the Berlin Film Festival
Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto Film Festival
Albert Lee, executive director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Chen Guo, Shanghai International Film Festival Center director
Janet Yang, producer and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Wen Muye, director of “Dying to Survive” and chair of SIFF YOUNG selection panel
Bai Xue, director
Zhou Yunhai, writer
Wang Jun, chair of Shanghai Film Group
Li Jie, chief executive of Damai Entertainment
Chen Zhixi, producer
Dong Runian, director-writer
Lan Hongchun, director
Li Wenyu, animator
Sources: Variety
