Hainan film festival rolls out 'blue carpet'

Visual effects supervisor Christopher Bremble, left, and producer Natacha Devillers walk on the red carpet at the third Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, on Dec 5, 2020. [Photo by ZuoJianan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The third Hainan Island International Film Festival lifted its curtain in the coastal city of Sanya, Hainan province on Dec 5 with a "blue carpet" procession and a grand opening gala.

The annual event was co-hosted by China Media Group and the government of Hainan province, and held at the Rosewood Sanya hotel.

Dancers perform on stage at the opening ceremony gala held in Sanya on Dec 5 for the third Hainan Island International Film Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Among those appearing were Chinese film director Guan Hu; Hong Kong film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter Wong Jing; director and screenwriter Manfred Wong; visual effects supervisor Christopher Bremble; producer Natacha Devillers and Iranian director and screenwriter Majid Majidi.

Addressing the audience at the grand ceremony, Shen Xiaoming, Party chief of Hainan, noted Hainan has attracted high-quality resources from all over the world, creating favorable conditions for the development of the film industry. He added the island is becoming an important platform for cultural exchanges between China and the West, providing rich nourishment for the development of the film industry.

Shen Xiaoming, Party chief of Hainan, addresses the audience at the gala. [Photo by ZuoJianan/chinadaily.com.cn]

A total of 189 works, selected from 4,376 submissions from 114 countries across the world, will be shown in 15 cinemas in Haikou, Sanya, Danzhou and Qionghai through Dec 12.

These films cover several categories, including Gala, World Cinema, Asian Spectrum, China Vista, Reality Matters, Possibilities, Spotlight and Cinema Regained, and nearly 100 will have their world, Asia or China premiere, according to festival organizers.

To focus on global filmmaking newcomers, the third HIIFF introduced the H!Future New Talent Awards in 2020, seeking to motivate new creators and deliver vibrant and diversified offerings to the film industry.

The festival also continues to enhance its own role in promoting film industry development with its H!ActionProject Market, dedicated to coordinating industrial resources supporting filmmakers, promoting mutual cooperation and providing incubation, financing and other services for different stages of film projects.

This year the H!Market, a permanent part of the HIIFF launched in 2019, will feature selected screenings, premieres, the International Best Shooting Scenic Spot Promotion Conference and an Online Film Week.

The festival will be hosted with strict prevention and control measures for COVID-19, according to organizers. Due to the pandemic, there will be outdoor screenings in Sanya and special online screenings of 15 foreign films during the festival's run.