The 15th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has unveiled the first 10 films in its Golden Goblet Award competition lineup, which includes  Russian filmmaker Karen Shakhnazarov’s White Tiger and Chrysalis from Spain’s Paula Ortiz.

French filmmaker Jean Jacques Annaud (Enemy At The Gates) will serve as jury chairman of the Golden Goblet Award. Iranian Filmmaker Amir Naderi will serve as jury chairman of Asian New Talent Award.

Shakhnazarov’s White Tiger is set during World War II. Cannes best director winner Pavel Lungin will present The Conductor, a film about an orchestra conductor and the music of Bach.

Finnish filmmaker Petri Kotwica has been selected for Shanghai competition for his Hitchcock-styled thriller Rat King, while another Finnish filmmaker, newcomer Saara Cantell, has been selected for family epic Stars Above.

SIFF’s other competitive section, the Asian New Talent Award, sees an increase in films from the Chinese-speaking world including Taiwanese director Chen Ta-pu’s coming-of-age drama Pick The Youth and Hong Kong filmmaker Jessey Tsang’s Big Blue Lake.  

Two Indian films were also selected for this section: Ribhu Dasgupta’s thriller Michael and Karan Gour’s Corrode.

This year’s Asian New Talent Award jury also includes Korean filmmaker Jung Sung-il, Japanese filmmaker Sabu, Chinese actress Xu Fan and Chinese filmmaker Cai Shangjun.

In the market section, SIFF will combine the China Film Pitch and Catch (CFPC) and Co-production Pitch and Catch (Co-FPC) sessions and rename them SIFF Project Market. Eight Chinese projects and 25 Chinese-foreign co-production projects will be presented.

SIFF Forum will also feature a special forum on “branded entertainment”, to discuss the trend of product placement of Chinese enterprises in major Hollywood projects.

The 15th SIFF will be held June 16-24.

Golden Goblet Award (first 10 films):

Chrysalis, Paula Ortiz (Spain)

Color Of Sky, Dr. Biju Damodaran (India), International premiere

Excuse Me, Henrik Ruben Genz (Denmark)

For The Love Of God, Micheline Lanctôt (Canada), Asia premiere

I, Anna, Barnaby Southcombe (UK/Germany/France)

Isztambul, Ferenc Torok (Hungary/Holland/Ireland/Turkey)

Rat King, Petri Kotwica (Finland), Asia premiere

Stars Above, Saara Cantell (Finland), Asia premire

The Conductor, Pavel Lungin (Russia), International premiere

White Tiger, Karen Shakhnazarov (Russia), International premiere

Asian New Talent Award:

Big Blue Lake – Jessey Tsang (Hong Kong)

Boy’s Diary –Putrama Tuta (Indonesia)

The Client – Sohn Young-sung (Korea)

Corrode –Karan Gour (India)

Follow, Follow – Peng Lei (China)

I Have Loved – Lai Weijie, Elizabeth Wijaya (Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore)

Michael – Ribhu Dasgupta (India)

Pearls Of The Far East – Cuong Ngo (Vietnam, Canada)

Pick The Youth – Chen Ta-pu (Taiwan)

Sweet Eighteen – He Wenchao (China)

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