Festival pays tribute to Chinese film
Ten years ago, James Su got an idea to promote Chinese culture in Hollywood with a film festival dedicated to Chinese filmmakers.
"There are more and more Chinese filmmakers succeeding globally," said Su, president of EDI Media Inc. "I want to provide them a platform to be even more successful internationally."
Su spoke at the10th Chinese American Film Festival (CAFF) opening ceremony and the Golden Angel Awards ceremony Tuesday evening in the Pasadena, California, civic auditorium. More than 1,000 guests from the movie industry in the US, Europe and Asia were in attendance.
CAFF was founded in Hollywood in 2005. The main purpose of the festival is to demonstrate how well Chinese and American cultures can collaborate through film to create unique and outstanding work. It also serves as a platform for international dialogue and collaboration in film education, film financing and film production.
Liu Jian, general consul of China's Consulate General in Los Angeles, said the festival has greatly promoted cultural exchanges between the two countries.
"I hope it helps American people to know more about Chinese culture through the films," Liu told China Daily. "Films bridge culture best."
Congresswoman Judy Chu said, "I can't find any better thing than films to connect people from different cultures with each other. This Chinese American Film Festival is definitely worth celebrating for its over 10 years' contribution to promote cultural exchange."
Ten Golden Angel Awards were presented at the ceremony. The winners were Breakup Buddies, Brotherhood of Blades, Phurbu and Tenzin, Old Boys: The Way of the Dragon, Baby Sorry, The Floating Shadow, The Story of Mao Zedong and Qi Baishi, The Golden Era, My Old Classmate, and The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom.
A Chinese film, Dragon Nest: Warriors' Dawn, won for Best Animated Feature. 2014 Best Documentary awards went to the Chinese independent film Zen and an American documentary Diaoyu Islands, The Truth.
The Most Popular American Movie in China Awards were presented to five Hollywood movies, including Transformers, Age of Extinction, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Captain America: The Winter Solder, The Amazing Spiderman 2, and Godzilla.
Michelle Yeoh was honored as the Cultural Exchange Ambassador of the Year.
Once Upon a Time in the Old Bridge won the Humanitarian Film Award.
Shanghai 1924 was given the Best Historical Film Award.
Chinese actress Hai Qing received the CAFF Goodwill Ambassador Award.
Chinese actress Yan Ni won the Best Actress Award for her leading role in the feature film Servant of Two Masters.
Chinese actor Lin Yongjian was honored as Best Actor for his leading role in Nie Rongzhen.
Two Chinese directors, Yu Dao and Peng Dan, were named Best New Directors.
Five Chinese young directors, including Ning Hao, Xiao Yang, Guo Fan, Chen Sicheng and Lu Yang, were announced as US China Talent Exchange Outstanding Young Chinese Directors.
Best Micro Film Awards, Best Children's Film of the Year, Best TV Producer, Best TV director and other prizes were presented as well.
The Golden Angel Awards for best TV production recognizes TV producers in China. Ten TV series, including Servant of Two Masters, On the Road, Loving Forever, See Without Looking, Super Partner, Nie Rongzhen, The Ninth Widow, Love in OB &GYNs, Students Soldier's Stories, and Qingguo Lane , were honored.
CAFF is ranked the 55th on the list of China's 104 items to increase people-to-people communication and cooperation in education, science, culture and sports between China and the US, approved by China's vice-premier Liu Yandong and US Secretary of State John Kerry in July.
This month, CAFF will show 200 films in more than 30 theaters in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ten films released last year will premiere in Los Angeles.
They include Brotherhood of Blade, No Man's Land, American Dream in China, The Old Cinderella, Iceman 3D, Phurbu and Tenzin, The Seventh Lie, Sorry I Love You, and When a Peking Family Meets Au Pair.
cindyliu@chinadailyusa.com
