The organizers of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) announced this year's Tiantan Award jury lineup over the weekend.

A composite image of this year's Tiantan Award jury members at the 13th Beijing International Film Festival. [Picture courtesy of BJIFF]

Renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou has been appointed as chair of the jury for this year's Tiantan Award, one of the most prestigious film awards in China. Zhang Yimou is a household name in China and is known for his artistic and commercial achievements in directing cinematic classics such as "Red Sorghum," "Raise the Red Lantern," and "Hero." His latest period comedy-drama "Full River Red" has grossed an astonishing 4.54 billion yuan in China so far. Zhang Yimou also directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, creating dream-like performances for audiences worldwide. He will also hold a masterclass during the 13th BJIFF.

Zhang will lead an esteemed jury panel consisting of Fernando E. Juan Lima, president of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina, Hong Kong-based Chinese director Stanley Kwan, Israeli director Nadav Lapid, Thai director Pimpaka Towira, Chinese actor Zhang Songwen, and Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu. Together, they will evaluate and decide on the winners across the Tiantan Award's 10 categories, which includes the highly coveted Best Feature Film prize, the announcement said.

This year's competition has broken records, with 1,488 entries submitted from 93 countries and regions. The finalists are a mix of renowned and up-and-coming directors from around the world. Selected films include "Adiós Buenos Aires" (Germany/Argentina), "Ciao" (China), "Driving Madeleine" (France), "Lost in the Stars" (China), "Men of Deeds" (Romania/Bulgaria), "Scrapper" (Britain), "Sisters" (Latvia/Italy), "The Lulus" (France), "The Man Without Guilt" (Slovenia/Italy/Croatia), "The Punishment" (Chile/Argentina), "The Shadowless Tower" (China), "Time Out" (Belgium/France), "To Catch A Killer" (USA), "Totem" (Mexico/Denmark/France), and "Until Branches Bend" (Canada).

The 13th BJIFF is scheduled to take place from April 22 to 29, and filmmakers from around the world will once again be welcomed to attend various events in Beijing in person thanks to new COVID-19 management policies.

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