2014 Pingyao Micro-Film Festival set for September

The 2014 Pingyao Micro-Film Festival will begin in September.

The film festival has three highlights. First, with Weibo and WeChat, people can put forward proposals with comments and suggestions on the operation model and schedule of the film festival, said Huang Dongsheng, chief director of the Pingyao Micro-Film Competition.

Second, audiences can appreciate micro-films in uniquely designed ways, so they can see the concept of “Great Pingyao”.

Third, there are many short films being presented at the festival for the first time. For instance, the eight-episode documentary short film series Memory: handicraft in Pingyao is made to show the history of traditional handicrafts in Pingyao. Moreover, one-day tours to see the traditional handicrafts in Pingyao are being offered as a special activity at the film festival.

Various kinds of micro-film scripts will be collected around the world to give audiences an excellent experience. Co-produced by TREE International Art Center and Jin-Merchant Painting and Calligraphy Institute, the first micro-film about painting and calligraphy, Cicada, tells the story of the famous painter Wu Zhenhuan, who is a minimalist and pop artist.

With a history of 2,700 years, Pingyao is considered one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world. Renowned for its well-preserved city walls, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major tourist attraction in central Shanxi.

Micro movie is an original motion picture that has a running time of 30 minutes or less, and has all the elements of a feature film. It is often made by independent filmmakers for nonprofit, either with a low budget, or no budget at all. Audiences can also enjoy the short films on their mobile devices.