Intl film festival raises Sanya's profile

It's all glitz and glamor at the opening ceremony of 5th HIIFF. [Photo/Hainan Daily]

The 5th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) has been running in Sanya from Dec 16 to 22.

 
As one of the pioneering projects in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the event has established a new platform for cultural exchanges between Hainan province and the world.

After being held in Sanya for five consecutive years, the festival has attracted attention from all around the world and it has boosted the visibility, influence and appeal of the host city, injecting new vitality into its development.

Through various promotions, forums and dialogues, the festival has sparked exchanges and joint ventures between Chinese and foreign filmmakers – providing momentum for the growth of local film and television companies.

"The HIIFF provides a platform for in-depth communications and cooperation between Chinese and foreign filmmakers – and it also attracts more attention towards the development of the film industry in the Hainan FTP," said Tang Jingrong, Chairman of Sanya Hedi Cultural Development.

 
According to Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the Turkish film director chairman of the jury of the Golden Coconut Awards at the 5th HIIFF, a film festival is the soul of a place and can bring profound cultural heritage and even change people's perceptions about an area.

Ceylan said that after years of development, the HIIFF had become not only a cinematic feast shared by all, but also an accelerator for Sanya to build a national cultural and tourism pilot city.