The light fantastic

University student film festival celebrates its 30th anniversary in spectacular style, as those instrumental in its establishment reminisce on its long-term success and ponder its legacy, Li Yingxue reports.

In 1993, 59-year-old Huang Huilin, a professor at Beijing Normal University, laid the foundations for the inaugural College Student Film Festival. In those early days, the films had to be transported by bicycle.

Eight years ago, during the festival, Zhang Ziwei, a second-year postgraduate student at the time, led her team in collecting over 2,000 original films created by college students nationwide. These films were submitted in hard copy format on DVD and mailed to her team.

Through the collective efforts of generations of students and faculty members at Beijing Normal University, this year, the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary.