Last weekend, the Shanghai International Film Festival unveiled its main competition list of films competing for the Golden Goblet Award, with all 12 films screening as world premieres—a first in the history of this section, according to festival organizers. The 28th festival will run from June 12 to 21.
Three of the main competition entries are Chinese-language films, all by emerging directors. A total of 49 films are vying for prizes in five competition sections, selected from a record number of submissions—approximately 4,100 films from 125 countries and regions.
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The main competition program includes films from 15 countries and territories. Among the Chinese-language entries are «"Atlantic Rhapsody"» Zhong Kaifeng and «The Great Skull» Liu Xiaoyang (both from mainland China), and «Secret in the Box» Frankie Tam by Gung-Yuen, a Mainland China/Hong Kong co-production. «"Atlantic Rhapsody"» , is said to combine drama, comedy and fantasy in the story of a supermarket storekeeper who loses sleep and hears voices after accidentally cooking shark. «The Great Skull» , a dark comedy starring Wen Qi, Ni Hongjie, and Yu Entai, follows a young woman about to graduate and her mother as they confront a "funeral committee" secretly organized by her father before his sudden death. in the film "The Secret in the Box"« , Directed by Zhang Song-wen, Patrick Tam, and Isabella Leong, the film is based on the 1970s Hong Kong "Box Murder Case"—the first local case solved through forensic analysis—and tells the story of a convicted man who maintains his innocence for decades and a young investigator who continues the investigation.
The only other Asian film in this section is «My Last Supper» Indonesian director Ismail Basbet, while most of the remaining spots were taken up by European films. Germany was represented by two films: Josef Brandl's "Superbuchey" and «"Unhappy Mother"» Susanne Heinrich, the latter of which will have its world premiere at the Munich International Film Festival, along with a Turkish-German co-production by Reis Çelik «Night of Blindness» , a Belgian painting by Nicolas Rincon Gillet «Iluminada» , a Brazilian-British co-production by Alan Minas «Louise's Desert» , a Russian film by Daniil Merkulov "« Sons of the Sea »", a Moroccan film by Yassin El Idrissi «Halima» and the Canadian film by Louis Godbout «"Parking space".
The main competition program, which includes world premieres, clearly shows that SIFF prefers to be a launching pad for new talent rather than a showcase for prestigious films already presented at festivals.
Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai chairs the seven-member jury for the main competition film. The jury also includes Chinese director Guan Hu, whose the film "Black Dog"« won the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival; Georgian screenwriter and director Dea Kulumbegashvili, whose film "April"« participated in the competition program of the Venice Film Festival in 2024; Mexican director Fernanda Valadez, who won the Audience Award in the World Dramatic Cinema category at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020; Chinese actress Xin Zhilei, who was named Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival last year for The Sun Rises on Us All« ; Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha; and Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat.
The Emerging Asian Talent section, which recognizes debut and second feature films by Asian directors, features 12 films this year. As before, all of them are world premieres, with the exception of Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse's "« 9 Temples to Heaven"» , which debuted at the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Chinese-language films once again dominate, including« Cassowary »"Zhang Hanyi, "« Her First Taste"» Gong Yiwen, «No hard feelings» Liu Shichuan, «Strangers in the Mountains » Wang Bo and the Chinese-Hong Kong co-production Mak Ting Shu «Dog Night» . The section's jury is chaired by Singaporean director Anthony Chen, whose film «Ilo Ilo» won the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013.
The documentary and animation competitions each feature five entries, along with 10 feature films and five animated shorts. The documentary jury is chaired by American director Geeta Gandbhir, and the animation jury is chaired by British animator Will Becher.
The festival opens on June 12 with the film «Afterpiece , a Hong Kong psychological drama produced by Derek Yee and directed by feature film debutant Kin TK Wong. Produced as part of the Hong Kong government's Director Succession Program, the film tells the story of director Stephen Fung, who is experiencing a crisis in his theater and dangerously becomes involved with a young actress during an audition.
28th Shanghai Golden Cup Awards - Full List
Main competition: Atlantic Rhapsody , Zhong Kaifeng (China); Halima , Yassin El Idrissi (Morocco); Iluminada , Nicolas Rincon Gille (Belgium); Louisa's Desert , Alan Minas (Brazil, UK); My Own Last Supper , Ismail Basbet (Indonesia); Night of Blindness , Reis Celik (Türkiye, Germany); Sea Sons , Daniil Merkulov (Russia); Secret in the Box , Frankie Tam Gung-Yuen (China, Hong Kong); Superbuhei , Josef Brandl (Germany); The Great Skull , Liu Xiaoyang (China); The Miserable Mother , Suzanne Heinrich (Germany, France); The Parking Spot , Louis Godbu (Canada).
Asian New Talents: 9 Temples in the Sky , Sompot Chidgasornpongse (Thailand) ; About mother , Büşra Bülbül (Türkiye); Boom , Zayed Abu Hamdan (Jordan, Saudi Arabia); Cassowary , Zhang Hanyi (China); Dog Night , Mak Tin Shu (China, Hong Kong); Her first taste , Gong Yiwen (China); Hunter's Moon , Ridham Janve (India, Germany); Nothing good in sight: history , Alibi Mukushev (Kazakhstan); No offense , Liu Shichuan (China); Lark , Nargiza Dotieva (Kyrgyzstan); Strangers in the Mountains , Wang Bo (China); The blind girl and the elephant , Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad (Bangladesh, Germany).
Documentary «Benigno» , David Baute (Spain); «Unheard Notes» , Gu Yun (China); «"Ruin"» , Elena Chemerska (North Macedonia, Croatia, Slovenia); «Tiger of the East» , Jorge Acevedo (Chile); "« Wheels of Forgotten Dreams"» , Milos Ljubomirovic, Danilo Lazovic (Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia).
Animated film «Amadeo and the Hypothetical New World» , Brenda Ligia, Edu Felistok (Brazil); «Dante» , Linda Hambäck (Sweden, Norway, Denmark); «Garuda: Dare to Dream» , Ronnie Ghani (Indonesia); «Lucy is lost »", Olivier Clerc (France); «Winnipeg, Seeds of Hope» , Elio Guiroga, Benat Beitia (Spain, Chile, Argentina).
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