Filmmakers from around the globe were invited to send in their work as the fourth annual Golden Panda International Short Film Festival kicked off last week in Richmond.
From Aug. 9 to Oct. 9, entries will be gathered and judged. Winners will be chosen in six categories including best picture, best humanistic vision, best animation, best director, best screenplay and special jury award. All winners will be invited to participate in the Cultural Immersion Trip to China in 2017.
Last year’s festival received 865 entries crossing various genres during a period of five months, including narrative films, animated films, documentaries and more.
There were 273 submissions from the United States, 111 from China, 60 from Canada, and the rest from more than 70 other countries, including France, Brazil, South Africa and South Korea.
Many submissions featured a star-studded roster of cast and crew, including 2010 Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress Melissa Leo, and internationally renowned Chinese director and Academy Award Winner Zhang Yimou.
Guests at the press conference for the festival’s kick-off included president of the Canadian Society for Asian Arts, Jan Walls, Hollywood director and producer, Michael French, co-founder and CTO of H+ Technology, Dhruv Adhia, and previous award winner representative Bobo Zhao.
“China will surpass North America to become world’s largest film market by the end of 2017,” said Walls. “To participate in festivals like Golden Panda, it provides a rare opportunity for Western filmmakers to benefit from exposure in the international competition. And for filmmakers, they will get the chance to know the real China in this terrific cultural tour.”
A significant component of the festival, the inaugural Golden Panda Film Industry Forum, will be held on Dec. 1 at Vancouver’s Marriott Hotel. It is based on the theme of incubation, technology, capital, and embracing technology and humanity in filmmaking.
In addition to the forum, guests will also join the official launch of the Golden Panda Young Filmmakers Support Program, another highlight of this year’s festival.
It aims to support emerging young filmmakers by providing a platform where they can connect with industry professionals, access capital, seek collaboration opportunities and cultivate intellectual property.
The official website of GPIFF 2016 (GPIFF.com) will be launched Aug. 9. From then until Oct. 9, filmmakers can go to the website to submit their work. From Oct. 10 to Nov. 10, a film festival jury will pick official festival selections.
Meanwhile, festival staff will be visiting schools across Canada, the United States and China to organize public screenings and campus events. A red carpet, private cocktail party and award ceremony will be held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on Dec. 2.
