FIRST Mart·Awarding Ceremony
In bitter and bountiful times, to those who speak of sincerity, neither repressing themselves nor eagering to please others, please come here and start a conversation.
Can a turbulent film market provide the most proper and rational methodology to examine the filmmakers and the industry itself so as to reach the realities of each party, and to expand or end the conversation, and even make transactions happen?
From July 27-30, 2020, FIRST Film Mart – Industry Screening, with a continuous screening of 13 shortlisted films, simultaneously opened industry meetings between market guests and filmmakers. From July 31 to August 1, FIRST Film Mart – Financing Forum, 21 annual shortlisted film projects went through three rounds of preliminary selection review, script review and pitch review to reach the final round – Financing Forum Open Pitch. The final jury was constituted by Cai Shangjun, Duan Yihong, Ma Yili, Wang Chuanjun and Jojo Hui. And the Open Pitch was hosted by the co-founder of Easy Entertainment and CEO of Easy Production, Mrs Chen Jie.
Jury Cai Shangjun said to the director of The Jew’s Ear: ‘The ground is ploughed, the seeds are planted, we just have to wait for the harvest. In the film, there is care for human beings with a perspective of life and nature. I may you success.’
Jury Duan Yihong said to the director of Ripple: ‘You depict the land that I know so well in a beautiful, strange and touching narrative. Familiarity often makes us miss some kind of emotions, or our relationships with family and friends. Your work tells me that there are many ways to make a film fantastic, and as an actor, I support you and believe in you.
Jury Ma Yili said to the director of Painful Stone, ‘I love the script, it’s heartwarming to build emotional bonding with people passing by in your life. I even want to play the characters in your script. Yet I also want to remind you that you should cherish yourself, avoiding trying too hard or getting exhausted, so that you could remain a long lasting creative force.’
Jury Jojo Hui said to the director of Downstream: ‘ I really like your script. It made me think that in life we may have a lot of failures and regrets, but there will always be some people around us who make us feel warm. After reading the script, I could lead a better life, which would be more powerful to touch people.’
Jury Wang Chuanjun said to the director of Blue to Red: ‘if Mr. Duan Yihong played a role in this film, I am in too!’
On August 1st, the 14th FIRST Mart·Awarding Ceremony was held and the honours were settled.
Like Fanther and Son won the Bridging the Dragon Special Award 2020.
This award aims to support high-quality film works and to provide possibilities of financing and distribution in Europe for the honored films, selected from FIRST Industry Screening Official Selection. And the awarded films would be provided with support and resources for production and distribution in Europe Bridging the Dragon.
Four Ever Young won the Image Media Award 2020, receiving a cash prize of ¥100,000.
New talents and films are the proof and hopes of the vigorous growth of film industry. “Image Media Award” aims to encourage young filmmakers to explore new expressions of films, to engrave time with images, and to explore the humanity and hearts with stories.
Mahjong Mom won iQIYI Award 2020 and non-cash prize worth 1,000,000 RMB from iQIYI.
iQIYI keeps giving continuous support to FIRST Mart Industry Screening, and together with FIRST, iQIYI select films with both commercial and artistic values and promote them to the industry and more audience. This iQIYI Award will be presented to the most popular film of Industry Screening.
Like Fanther and Son won Alibaba Pictures Xinhuo Project Award 2020 and a cash prize of ¥100,000 sponsored by Alibaba Pictures.
This award aims to encourage young filmmakers to maintain their artistic sensibility and expressive sincerity, and to promote that scripts with originality could be cinematized. Alibaba Pictures XINHUO Project sets up this award to resonate with the firm beliefs of young filmmakers.
Frozen Egg won Crouching Shadow Hidden Colour Award 2020, and a non-cash prize worth 300,000 RMB presented by Beijing Cinerent Ltd.
This award aims to encourage the new generation of filmmakers to explore innovation and in the process of cinematography, to try all possibilities in the field of both technology and art to explore the beauty of vision.
Ripple won Image Forestt Post-production Award, and a non-cash prize worth 300,000 RMB presented by Image Forestt.
Image Forestt has always been adhering to supporting Chinese young directors and Chinese independent art films. Image Forestt is devoted to more support for the development of Chinese film industry by optimizing pre&post-production resources, providing the best production platform and customizing the best solutions.
As River Goes By won PaiHua Production Asteroid Escort Project Presented by PaiHua Production and a non-cash prize worth 300,000 RMB
“Asteroid Escort Project” is committed to discovering and supporting outstanding filmmakers, with China’s film and television industry as center of gravity, helping them to “fly towards light”. We aim to provide high-quality and effective help for outstanding young filmmakers, and to support the expression of profound insight into society and life and to make unique and brilliant works.
A Daredevil Pig won Sound Forestt Sound Production Award, and a non-cash prize worth 300,000 RMB presented by Sound Forestt.
Sound Forestt focuses on young filmmakers and continues to support FIRST International Film Festival. This award aims to encourage the new generation and support the sustainable development of their works.
Myth of Love won Bu Ying Legend Award 2020 and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Bu Ying Legend.
The exploration and thinking of young filmmakers is an important force in the development of the film industry. In order to incubate new forces in Chinese cinema and to discover and support young film talents, Bu Ying Legend has set up this award to support young filmmakers and build new strength for the industry.
Myth of Love won The Seventh Art Pictures Award 2020 and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by The Seventh Art Pictures.
The Seventh Art Pictures firmly believes that good content must have the force to touch people. This award aims to encourage and support young filmmakers, to create stories from their heart, and to show their vitality.
Blue to Red won Element Bravo Award 2020 and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Element Bravo that has been supporting good work to reach more audience.
The Birth of A Movie won “Future Star” Program Potential Works Award and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Meridian Entertainment.
The mission of “Future Star” Program is to share the beauty of mind, explore the depth of humanity, and to support young filmmakers. The “Future Star” Program aims to discover and support young filmmakers to start their careers from creating original works, to encourage young filmmakers to be honest and brave while exploring the beauty of the film and the meaning of life, and contribute to the development of Chinese film industry.
The Jew’s Ear won Lian Ray Pictures Ingenuity Award and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Lian Ray Pictures.
This award aims to help young filmmakers to insist on your originality, bear the loneliness, and work hard. We believe the promising future belongs to young filmmakers sculpting in time with ingenuity.
Beijing Witch won Jet Tone Films Award and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Jet Tone Films.
This award aims to support and encourage this year’s warmest and most touching project.
Blue to Red won Hengye Pictures Award 2020 and a cash award of 100,000 RMB presented by Hengye Pictures.
The award aims to encourage young filmmakers to never forget their dreams at a younger age, to be creative, to capture the times, and to write touching stories. It hopes that young filmmakers could innovate in film genre, content, and cinematic images. Together they would realize a better future of Chinese films.
Frozen Egg won FIRST Mart Special Mention Award 2020 and a cash award of 50,000 RMB.
The young creative team of Frozen Egg is able to examine sensitive social issues like egg freezing and explore a story with style and depth. Director Gao Qunshu and scriptwriter Lv Mo, not only involving the issues of women but also reflecting on the confusion and sorrow of each individual in the Chinese family relationship.
Ripple won FIRST Mart Top Award 2020. It will be entered into the Max Times Project and get a cash award of 200,000 presented by Max Times.
Zhang Ziwei’s narrative of the relationship between father and son and their twisting fates is mapped out, revealing the intimate meaning of life beneath the chaos, intellectually and poetically.
At FIRST, these filmmakers could express themselves appropriately, while examining themselves with a little distance, then go further and deeper with the kindness and tenderness of all.
