The 15th Beijing International film festival (BJIFF) kicked off on April 18, 2025, with a grand opening ceremony that saw over 100 industry professionals and celebrities walk the red carpet, braving heavy rain to do so. The event was held at the Yanqi Lake International Convention Center, which was transformed into a film lover’s paradise.
The event was unique in that several stars appeared in costumes as iconic film characters, including Charlie Chaplin, Bruce Lee and Zorro. Others recreated scenes from classics like “Roman Holiday,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “The Wandering Earth” and “In the Mood for Love” — paying tribute to two major milestones: the 120th anniversary of Chinese filmmaking and the 130th anniversary of cinema worldwide.
- Sun Junmin, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, paid tribute to world cinema and extended her best wishes for success to filmmakers from around the world.
- She was confident in the continued growth of China’s film industry and looked forward to the festival’s future developments.
The festivities continued inside with an elaborate opening gala featuring performances celebrating film history. The event also included a keynote speech by Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who highlighted the significance of film in connecting the world.
Janet Yang emphasized the power of film to bridge cultural and language barriers, saying, “Cinema is the language that best connects the world.”
- The jury for the festival’s prestigious Tiantan Award competition will include Chinese American director and actor Joan Chen, British director David Yates, Chinese mainland actor Ni Ni, Finnish director Teemu Nikki, Swiss director and actor Vincent Perez, and Chinese art director Tim Yip from Hong Kong, China.
- Acclaimed Chinese director Jiang Wen will serve as the head of this year’s jury.
The Tiantan Award jury will decide winners across 10 categories, including best feature film, best director and best screenplay. The competition received a record 1,794 feature film submissions from 103 countries and regions.
| Category | Number of Submissions |
|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | 123 |
| Best Director | 76 |
| Best Screenplay | 54 |
The festival will run until April 27 and will feature diverse events, including a film carnival, pitch sessions for emerging filmmakers and cross-industry collaborations.
- The screening program will include 18 thematic sections showcasing nearly 300 domestic and international films — ranging from nostalgic classics to rare or previously unreleased works in China.
- The festival will feature cutting-edge technology showcases, dedicated programs for short films and sports films, works by female directors and young filmmakers, creative markets, an AI film competition and a university student film festival.
The “China Film Consumption Year” initiative is also being launched during the festival, which aims to integrate cinema with everyday consumer activities across culture, tourism and commerce.
- The initiative seeks to connect films with daily experiences, from dining to travel, while boosting consumer engagement.
- The first major event, the Beijing Film Life Festival, runs alongside the film festival and features city-wide celebrations across multiple venues.
The Swiss film “Frieda’s Case” is competing for the Tiantan Award, and a special Swiss Film Week will be held across Beijing theaters and filmmaker Q&A sessions.