ReelFocus program celebrates emerging filmmakers

The ReelFocus Fresh Blood Short Film Program, a segment of the Beijing International Film Festival dedicated to showcasing young talents, recently unveiled the winners of its 14 accolades. Chosen from an impressive pool of 2,764 submissions representing nearly 100 countries and regions, the awards ceremony took place in Beijing's northern Huairou district.

Among the honorees, Rest in Peace, the directorial debut of 27-year-old Beijing Film Academy graduate Cai Kunyu, clinched the title of Best Film. The short film draws inspiration from a real-life incident in 2017, depicting a billionaire's relative attempting to procure a stranger's corpse to substitute for the deceased billionaire, evading funeral policies mandating cremation.

Peng Tenglin, a native of Guizhou province born in 1995, secured the Best Director award for The Land of Nowhere, a portrayal of a disillusioned Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) soldier. Meanwhile, the Best Documentary honor was bestowed upon Indian filmmaker Prachee Bajania for Umbro.

The esteemed jury panel, led by renowned critic Peggy Chiao, comprised a total of seven members, including Hong Kong director Derek Hui, actress Jiang Qinqin, scriptwriter Chen Yu, and three actors: Yu Shi, Qu Chuxiao, and Zu Feng.

Zhao Peng, the program's initiator and sponsor, who also serves as the chairman of the online recruitment platform Boss Zhipin, expressed the program's mission to support young talents and students from film colleges, aiming to assist them in launching their careers with short films as a steppingstone.