As a competitive feature film festival recognized by FIAPF, SIFF has another important competition besides the Global Goblet Awards – the Asian New Talent Award. Since its launch in 2004, a new force of films and filmmakers in Asia has been discovered and supported. On April 5, the organizing committee of SIFF announced that the Chinese well-known film director Wang Xiaoshuai was invited to preside over the jury of Asian New Talent Award of the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. When accepting the invitation, he said: “ I believe the jury will review films with a fair, impartial and professional attitude!”
As a representative figure of the 6th generation of directors in mainland China, Wang Xiaoshuai graduated from the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy in 1989. He has been recognized by 3 top film festivals in Europe with his works for many times. In 2005, he won the Jury Prize for Shanghai Dreams directed by him, which also became the opening film at the International Film Festival of India in the same year; in 2008, he won the Silver Bear for Best Script at Berlin International Film Festival with In Love We Trust; in 2010, his work Chongqing Blues was included in the main competition for Palme d’Or again; in 2014, his Red Amnesia was selected in competition for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and was widely acclaimed.
Meanwhile, as a filmmaker born in Shanghai, Wang Xiaoshuai has a long history with SIFF. He was a jury member of main competition for the Golden Goblet Awards at the 13th SIFF. Last year, he appeared on the stage of the awarding ceremony as a presenter for the 19th SIFF Asian New Talent Award, sharing his directing experience with junior directors. This year, Wang Xiaoshuai will take the lead of jury’s film review work for the Asian New Talent Award. When he accepted the invitation, he said: “Thanks for the invitation from Asian New Talent Award of SIFF. I have high expectations for the works of the new talents. I believe the jury will review films with a fair, impartial and professional attitude.”
As one of the 15 international competitive feature film festivals, SIFF will take the compelling obligation to explore and support new film talents in Asia. Since its setting in 2004, the Asian New Talent Award has been committed to exploring more international space for new talents and new works. At this stage, many young Asian directors are known by the world because of the Asian New Talent Award, and then have achieved greater success, like Ning Hao, Pema Tseden, Gao Qunshu, as well as Lin Shuyu from China Taiwan, Hassan Yektapanah from Iran and Ravi Bharwani from Indonesia.
Since 2015, SIFF has comprehensively upgraded the Asian New Talent Award, setting up six awards, namely Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Script Writer and Best Cinematographer. SIFF also cooperates with many other film festivals in “World Express” projects, providing more opportunities worldwide for the development of new talents and new works.
International Jury for Asian New Talent Award
President: WANG Xiaoshuai (China, Director)
Juries: Hsiao-chuan Chang (China Taiwan, Actor)
DONG Jinsong (China, Cinematographer)
TAN Chui Mui (Malaysia, Director)
Michael J. Werner (America, Publisher &Producer)