Shanghai International Film Festival Kicks off in Shower
By admin on 2015-01-30

Jury members from the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival meet the press in Shanghai
on Saturday.

The Shanghai International Film Festival kicked off Saturday at the Shanghai Grand Theater, with filmmakers from all over the world braving the rain to walk the red carpet.

For drenched reporters and movie fans waiting outside, the downpour seemed to last forever. As the shower got heavier, it seemed increasingly implausible to have movie stars walk the soaked carpet. Some reporters even suggested cancelling the walk. But festival organizers refused to yield to the weather.

At 6:30 p.m., movie stars began to arrive. Dressed up and smiling, they looked all right with the shower. The fans were certainly excited, crying at the top of their lungs as A-list Chinese movie stars such as Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing and Chen Kun made appearances.

Hollywood stars such as Susan Sarandon, Matt Dillon and Mischa Barton also graced the red carpet. Fortunately, the session went smoothly, and no one lost their footing.

Following the one and half hour red carpet session, a grand opening ceremony was held in the theater. Chinese veteran director Feng Xiaogang was honored with the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Cinema.

"The award is a recognition and encouragement for my work of last several decades," Feng said.

Feng is the highest grossing Chinese director ever. His blockbusters such as "Assembly" and "Aftershock" have raked in over 1 billion yuan (US$153.3 million) to date.

Feng said he is also one of the most criticized film directors in China.

"Too much criticism, even personal abuse could hurt my feelings and affect my enthusiasm for cinema," he said. Recognitions like the award matter a lot to him, he added.

Hollywood veteran actress and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon received the Outstanding Artistic Life Award. Sarandon said that she was grateful to get the award on her first trip to China. She also mentioned table tennis clubs that she owns back in the U.S. She suggested playing table tennis with Chinese filmmakers in Shanghai.

The 14th Shanghai International Film Festival will run from June 11 to 19. A line-up of 16 movies will compete for the coveted Golden Goblet award. An international jury, headed by American director Barry Levison, will pick the winner.

Various movie forums will be held and a large number of filmmakers are expected to look for potential buyers during the nine-day event. The festival has also introduced a mobile movie section, the first of its kind in the world. Hong Kong director Hark Tsui will preside over the mobile movie jury.