Esteemed intl film festival opens in Pingyao

The opening ceremony for the 4th Pingyao International Film Festival occurs in the Ancient City of Pingyao in Pingyao county on Oct 10. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

The 4th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival, or PYIFF, opened in Pingyao county in North China's Shanxi province on Oct 10.

Noted Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke, the architect of the PYIFF, introduced the special pre-screening event and said the occasion was a time to pay tribute to all filmmakers.

A short film called Shanxi, a Place with Stories was shown at the opening ceremony, which introduces movies shot in Shanxi and film production locations in the province. The video also highlights how the film industry has contributed to Shanxi's development.

This year's film festival will last until Oct 19 and is comprised of five official parts, with more than 50 films to be shown. Among them, 43.4 percent are world premieres, and 88.7 percent are Asian premieres.

Themed "Only Film…", this year's festival aims to express the passion of film lovers who are eager to return to the cinema, as well as the devoted filmmakers who are always moving forward. Of course, the event also reflects people's determination to overcome the obstacles and hardships caused by COVID-19.

Jia Zhangke, a noted Chinese film director and co-founder of the annual Pingyao International Film Festival, shares his thoughts at the opening ceremony on Oct 10. [Photo/pingyao.gov.cn]

A series of film-related academic activities will be held throughout the festival, with famous filmmakers invited to give masterclasses. Cross-discipline dialogues between film, architecture, music and education circles will also be carried out.

First launched in 2017, the annual PYIFF is an international and professional film and art event co-founded by Jia Zhangke and Italian filmmaker Marco Muller. The festival has been supported by the governments of Pingyao county and Jinzhong city and has demonstrated the open and inclusive cultural atmosphere in Pingyao.

Since its inception, the festival has given full play to the unique advantages of Pingyao's cultural resources and significantly promoted the prosperity and development of the film and television industry and the cultural tourism industry in Shanxi.

As a result of its annual film event, Pingyao won the title of "Film City of the Year of 2019" and was selected as one of China's top 10 influential tourist counties in 2020.