An Evening with the Beijing Film Academy
Acclaimed for such graduates as Fifth Generation masters Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, the Beijing Film Academy is internationally recognized as one of the most vital institutes in the world devoted to the art of film production. As the largest film school in Asia, it attracts students from around the world to its highly competitive program. Introduced by a distinguished delegation of faculty from the Academy, this special program will present screenings of recent student work. The delegates from the Academy expected to be in attendance are the Fifth Generation graduate and filmmaker Xie Xiaojing; Sun Lijun, Dean and Professor of the Animation School; Hu Qiang, Dean and Associate Professor of the Higher Vocational College; Huang Ying, Instructor at the Animation School and Mi Jing, Instructor and Interpreter of the International School. The student short films being shown encompass a wide range of styles and genres, and offer a unique look of the work of the next wave of Chinese directors. There are several animated films in the program, as well as live action films that range in scope from intimate two-person dramas to films with a more ambitious scale.
PROGRAM
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The Hegemon King Once More
Directed by Li Ran.
China, 2004, color, 20 min.
Aqiuqiu is a bit player in the Beijing Opera who dreams of playing the role of the Hegemon King in "Farewell My Concubine." When he gets his big break, however, he forgets his lines.
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The Pond
Directed by Ying Huang.
China, 2002, color, silent, 6 min.
Animated using 3D computer technology, this beautiful film shows the pull between harmony and competition in nature, represented by two dragonflies in a lotus pond.
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Mummy Story
Directed by Zheng Liang Dong.
China, 2003, color, 5 min.
This humorous animated short is about an unlucky guy with a bandage around his head. His bad mood is exacerbated by all of the things around him that remind him of his head…
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Diary of a Snowing Day
Directed by Tina Sun.
China, 2003, 6 min.
On a snowy day, a young graduate reflects on the difficulty of leaving her studies and her friends behind and moving on to adult life.
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Formations of One / 360 Degrees + One
Directed by Chen Ruhong.
China, 2003, 9 min.
These animated short films are the work of a single director whose elegance and control of the medium are on display in these silent films that show objects in constant motion.
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Shadow
Directed by Open Li (Zhang Li).
China, 2003, 8 min.
This animated film explores the divide between a person's inner and outer worlds and the relationship between man and society.
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The Winter
Directed by Zhao Jing.
China, 2003, 16mm, color, 17 min.
A petty thief on the run befriends a young boy, who becomes his shadow. When his past crimes catch up with him, the young boy is there as a helpless witness, with tragic results.
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Whale
Directed by Lei Chang.
China, 2003, color, 20 min.
The touching story of the relationship between a young boy and his photographer father, the film deals with the repercussions when the boy tells his classmates his father can fly.
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B Block 501 Room
Directed by Zhang Nan.
China, 2003, 16 min.
A man dreams that his double enters his apartment and attacks him. When he wakes up, events begin to mirror his dream, leading him to believe that it may be coming true…
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You Never Know Life Should Be/About Life
Directed by Yu Shui.
China, 2003, 14 min.
An ambitious mix of animation and live action, the film demonstrates how all things are connected, and how even the slightest change in one's actions can have a ripple effect on everything else.