Unveiling Fresh Talent: Beijing Festival Showcases the Vibrant “Chinese New Wave” and “Hangzhou New Cinema” for Film Enthusiasts
Ready to dive into the “Hangzhou New Wave” at the Beijing International Film Festival? If that phrase leaves you curious, the 15th edition of the festival, taking place from April 18-26, offers the perfect introduction. It features works by writer and director Zhu Xin in a “Filmmaker in Focus” program, which highlights him as “the young flag-bearer of the ‘Hangzhou New Wave’,” also referred to as Hangzhou New Cinema.
Additionally, the 2025 Beijing festival will showcase more emerging voices in Chinese filmmaking through its “Chinese New Wave” program. Organizers emphasize this initiative as “an important platform for discovering and promoting young filmmakers.” This year’s lineup promises to present “the best works of various young Chinese filmmakers, sharing their cutting-edge perspectives and diverse expressions.”
Check out the lineup for the “Chinese New Wave” program below.
Now, let’s delve into who Zhu Xin is. Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in Southeastern China, lies closer to Shanghai than to Beijing. Renowned for its rich history in poetry and the arts, as well as its UNESCO-recognized cultural sites, this scenic city is also home to prestigious universities and leading tech companies. Historically, Hangzhou was considered the world’s largest city during parts of the 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries.
In 2020, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) curated an online film season that celebrated Hangzhou and its emerging filmmaking talent. They noted: “These auteurs, who either hail from or studied in Hangzhou, share a deep understanding of the city’s topography, local culture, and distinctive character. Their films reflect personal experiences and highlight an emerging emphasis on geographical perspective in modern Chinese cinema.”
The NFTS pointed out that Hangzhou’s blend of natural beauty and modernity has fostered new directors who, with modest budgets, have created strikingly fresh films, ranging from documentaries to fiction narratives, and from confessional video diaries to experimental pieces.
As the Beijing film festival highlighted, “In the current landscape of Chinese film creation, youth films are undeniably a vital component,” giving rise to the term “Hangzhou New Wave.”
Zhu Xin, born in 1996, is among the youngest filmmakers from this vibrant city. He has expressed admiration for the work of Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul and has quickly gained recognition within the arthouse festival circuit.
At just 22 years old, Zhu released his first feature film, *Vanishing Days*, which was screened in the New Currents section of the Busan International Film Festival and in the Forum program of the Berlin Film Festival. Made with a non-professional cast and on a budget of merely $2,500, the film explores a teenager’s surreal experiences during one summer.
A review of *Vanishing Days* noted that it “wraps his bustling hometown in a surreal, trance-like aesthetic,” and remarked on how Zhu transforms the city’s forests, caverns, and islets into a stage for characters navigating their lethargic lives, shifting identities, and dreamy aspirations. The review concluded that the film heralds the emergence of a bold artist.
Zhu’s second feature, the experimental documentary *A Song River*, follows his journey to restore a Song Dynasty poem from a millennium ago as he attempts to connect with the hometown of his memories.
His latest film, *All Quiet at Sunrise*, delves into themes of time, love, language, and memory. In his director’s statement, Zhu reflects, “As a fledgling filmmaker still navigating the domestic film industry, I often wonder how regretful I would feel at 60 if I hadn’t made the film I truly wanted to create.”
The Beijing festival’s “Filmmaker in Focus” program will showcase his three features along with five shorts: *Community*, *A Folk Song*, *On That Afternoon*, *Cleo*, and *Fragile Women*.
The festival organizers aim for this focus on Zhu to allow audiences to discover this “future star” of Chinese cinema from multiple perspectives.
Below is the lineup for the “Chinese New Wave” program at Beijing 2025:
– Inner Secrets (Run)
– Village Music (Lina Wang)
– Stars and the Moon (Yongkang Tang)
– Reflections in the Lake (Zhai Yixiang)
– Wen Rou (Li Jiaxi)
– Hidden Landscapes (Xufeng Guo)
Stay tuned for more updates from HiCelebNews as we continue to bring you exciting stories from the world of film and entertainment!
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