China’s FIRST International Film Festival (FIFF) has curated a collection of films that showcases a diverse representation of women by emerging Chinese filmmakers, in collaboration with French fashion house Chanel for the fourth time.
The First Frame competition was established by FIFF and Chanel in 2021 with a special focus on films with female characters and female themes. Due to its popularity, separate submissions were introduced for the first time this year, separating entries for First Frame from those for the main competition.
“First Frame aims to showcase a broad spectrum of female representation, portraying women taking action and breaking barriers,” says Li Ziwei, curator of First Frame and co-founder and CEO of FIFF. “It is a response to why we stand here, addressing their identity, desire and trauma as well as the countless real situations both in front and behind the screen.”
This year, First Frame presents six feature films, including the world premiere of Frankenfish By The River, Unknown Species, documentary Unstoppable and nine short films. Ava Cahen, the artistic director of Cannes’ Critics’ Week, will serve as jury head along with Chinese actress Qin Hailu and veteran Taiwanese producer Yeh Jufeng. They will select two winners - film of the year and short film of the year – which will each receive a cash prize from Chanel.
The 18th edition of FIFF takes place from July 20-28 in the highland city of Xining, Qinghai province in northwest China.
Here, Screen profiles the six feature films in the First Frame competition.
Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate (HK)
Dir. Yan Xiaolin
Pros. Yang Haijun, Chen Linlin, Li Peiru
Director Yan’s second feature follows the desperate attempt of a small-town single mother in getting her daughter to ace the college entrance exam and enter a prestigious university, which is a much-needed pathway to a brighter future for them both. Shot in black and white, the film received two nominations – best actress for Hu Ling and best original screenplay for Yan – at last year’s Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. Liaoning-born Yan made his 2016 feature directorial debut The Years I Watch Hong Kong Movies on a shoestring budget, which screened at the now defunct Chinese Independent Film Festival.
Contact: Memoria Films
Frankenfish By The River (China)
Dir. Chen Yusha
Pros. Annie Song, Han Xiaoling
Prodco. Yiti Film Production, Sichuan Shayu Pictures
Mixing live action with animation sequences, this urban fable is about a dejected actress who returns to her hometown in Sichuan province where she meets with old friends. They often hang out by a river that is also home to a monster fish, which is believed to capture humans who do not feed fish. It is the feature directorial debut of Sichuan-born Chen who also plays the female lead. Her university graduation short film, The Woman, from Sichuan University of Media and Communications won a cash prize at Guangzhou Zurongcun Film Festival. This enabled her to fund more shorts herself before making this first feature.
Contact: Develop Film, Annie Song
Killing The Violet (Japan)
Dir. Zhang Yu
Pro. Lu Yanqing
Prodco. Tokyo University of the Arts
This Japanese suspense drama marks the graduation project of director Zhang from Tokyo University of the Arts. It stars Japanese actor-director Nobuhiro Suwa – who is also Zhang’s teacher at the university – and Fusako Urabe from Wheel Of Fortune And Fantasy. The story explores how a woman faces the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a stranger in her apartment and how she re-evaluates her life. It had its world premiere at China’s Pingyao International Film Festival last year where it earned the People’s Choice Award at the Crouching Tigers competition.
Contact: Beijing Hugoeast Media
Unborn Soul (Australia)
Dir. Zhou Zhou
Pros. Zhou Zhou, Chi Ying
Prodco. Movieidea Media, Bright Films
Anhui-born director Zhou returns to FIFF with his third feature film, which received its world premiere in competition at the Osaka Asian Film Festival in March. Chi Yun, who is also the co-writer, stars as a pregnant mother whose marriage is on the rocks as the baby has a high chance of being born with disabilities. Chi was also Zhou’s collaborator on his first two films: feature debut Mei Li won Chi the best actress prize at FIFF in 2018, while his second film Only You Alone won best screenplay at the same festival two years later. The latter also won the Fipresci prize at Rotterdam.
Contact: All One Films, Zhou Zhou
Unknown Species (China)
Dir/Pro. LingLingLing
Featuring non-professional cast and crew, Unknown Species is the first completed film by LingLingLing. She ventured into filmmaking in her 30s after holding various jobs as a waitress, factory accountant, website editor, art exhibition organizer and advertising planner. In 2020, she moved to the rural areas near Beijing to pursue filmmaking. This feature directorial debut is inspired by LingLingLing’s own experiences and the women around her, focusing on a young single mother who lives an isolated life with her eight-year-old son in the countryside until the visit of a college friend makes her open up about her personal life.
Contact: Steam Age Film Company, LingLingLing
Unstoppable (China)
Dir. Xu Huijing
Pro. Lv Bo, Cao Zijian, Li Meng
Prodco. Sunac Pictures (Shenzhen)
Xu’s latest documentary has been selected for both the main competition for documentaries and the First Frame competition at FIFF. It marks his return to Xining, following 2020’s Tough Out, which clinched the best documentary feature award and audience choice award. This time, his subject is the first ever Asian Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s world champion, Zhang Weili, who found herself in a slump once her career peaked. Shanxi-born Xu has been making documentaries for more than a decade, with credits including Mothers, which won a special jury award at Sheffield Doc/Fest Film and a special mention at Chicago International Film Festival in 2013.
Contact: Sunac Pictures (Shenzhen), Cao Zijian
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