On November 7, the 9th Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF) held a press conference in Xi'an Qujiang International Convention Center. With the theme of "Silk Road for a Connected World, Films in Bright Chang'an", the 9th SRIFF will hold in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province from November 26 to 29.

The 9th SRIFF is sponsored by China Media Group, Shaanxi Provincial People's Government and Fujian Provincial People's Government, organized by Shaanxi Film Administration, Xi'an Municipal People's Government and Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation, and operated by Xi'an Qujiang New District Administrative Committee and Xi'an Broadcasting Corporation.

The SRIFF has set up seven main units, including the Competition Unit of the Golden Silk Road Award, the opening ceremony and red-carpet ceremony, Film Night, film panorama, film forum, film power, and the award ceremony, to promote cultural exchanges, people-to-people bond and mutual learning of civilizations along the Silk Road.

Celebrities Gathering -- The Film Festival Ambassadors Make Their Debut

Famous director and actor Wu Jing served as the Image Ambassador, actor Zhang Yuqi as the Publicity Ambassador, actor Chen Feiyu and Zhang Zifeng as Youth Ambassadors, and Italian actors including Monica Bellucci as Silk Road Promotion Ambassadors. At the press conference, Wu Jing'an and Sun Hao were awarded the title of "SRIFF Cultural Ambassador". Tian Bo and Zhang Zhonghua, the directors, Xu Yingzhi, Lin Linqi and Wei Ran, the actors, were awarded the title of "Star Power in Chang’an".

Competition Unit -- 20 Shortlisted Films Competing for the Golden Silk Road Award

The Competition Unit of the Golden Silk Road Award has received 1,598 films from 90 countries and regions. After rounds of selection, 20 excellent films have been shortlisted. On November 29, 10 professional awards will be announced. Seven well-known filmmakers at home and abroad are invited to form an international jury. The chairman of the jury is Diao Yinan, a famous Chinese director.

Opening Ceremony -- Celebrities Highlight the Silk Road Culture

The 9th SRIFF has built an artistic bridge between celebrities for countries and regions along the Belt and Road to learn from each other. On November 26, nearly 100 celebrities will attend the opening red-carpet ceremony with film fans at Xi'an Qujiang E-Sports Center.

The four chapters of the opening ceremony focus on the Silk Road Culture, respectively showing film masterpieces along the Silk Road, wisdom presented by the Silk Road, literature and art from the Silk Road, as well as the feelings derived from the Silk Road, so as to create a cultural ceremony with Silk Road characteristics.

Film Night -- Filmmakers Promote the Grand Site Protection

As a global cultural IP, the SRIFF will fully demonstrate the charm, openness and inclusiveness of Silk Road culture. It has initiated "Film Night" activities, including Film Art Night, Chang'an Night, and Silk Road Night. Filmmakers will visit the Grand Site to present the world with the unique charm of cultural heritage contrasting pleasantly with film art, and advocate the public to participate in the protection of the site.

The Film Art Night will be held in Tang Paradise on November 24, combining film aesthetics with the prosperity of Tang Dynasty to create a visual feast. The Chang'an Night will open a space-time tunnel at the Danfeng Gate of the Daming Palace National Heritage Park on November 25 to conclude an agreement between the filmmakers and the site guardians. The Silk Road Night will be presented at the Yongning Gate of the Xi'an City Wall on November 28 to welcome the guests of the film festival to feel the relics of a millennium-old civilization and appreciate the cultural landscape of the Grand Site.

Cultural Benefits -- Online Free + Offline Free Movie Tickets

This year's "offline + online" film festival will kick off on November 19. A total of 180 excellent Chinese and foreign films were shown for 466 times in 41 offline theaters in Shaanxi Province, and 87 films were online free.

Focusing on the participation and interaction of people, 10,000 free tickets were distributed to invite citizens to enjoy these films during the screening, reflecting the artistry of the film festival and city's hospitality.

Film Forum -- Suggestions for High- quality Film lndustry Development

The forum consisting of two main forums(Silk Road Film Resource Sharing and Win-win Cooperation Forum and New Generation Filmmakers and Future Film Exploration Forum) and three series of activities will be held online and offline in the form of "speech + dialogue".

Academic experts, industry representatives and well-known directors of the film industry will be invited to the two main forums to offer their advice and suggestions on topics such as resource sharing, win-win cooperation, new generation of filmmakers, future films. Heavyweight guests such as Huang Jianxin, Yin Hong, Tan Fei, Wang Hongwei, Chen Jianying will attend the forums.

The three series of activities (featuring film creation, industrial empowerment, talent training) roll out the "Western Film Week", location promotion, film promotion and evaluation system establishment and a number of academic activities to promote the high-quality development of western film industry, contributing to the prosperity of China's film industry.

Film Strength -- Seeking the New Generation of Filmmakers and Incubating Potential Projects

The part "Film Strength" of the festival will organize activities such as "Youth Short Film Carnival", "On the Plateau" Film Visual Art Exhibition and "Master Class" to give more development opportunities to young filmmakers, provide a high-quality industry interactive platform, and build a bridge for Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges, boosting the film industry.

Award Ceremony -- Announcement of Top Ten Awards of "Golden Silk Road Award"

The 9th Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF) held on the evening of November 29 gave spotlight to filmmakers, and it announced the top ten awards of the "Golden Silk Road Awards" including Best Film, Best Director, Best New Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score or Best Visual Effects, Best Documentary Film and Best Animation Film. The award ceremony is held for classics, filmmakers, and all dedicators, strivers, and dream-seekers who promote the development of the film industry along the Silk Road.

The 9th Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF) will tell Chinese true stories well, highlight cultural confidence, and fully display the new achievements and works of film development in countries along the Silk Road, featuring people-to-people bonds and cultural exchanges. Shaanxi will provide practices and make contributions to the great Belt and Road Initiative and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

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