College Students Keen on Films about Modern LifeChinese college students have selected their favorite films, which were given awards here Saturday night at the closing ceremony of the Eighth College Students' Film Festival.Most of these films feature the psychology and life of modern people. A movie titled "Love of Romance," about city youngsters in love won the best feature film award. "Yixi Zhorma," a film about Tibet's history, and "The Treatment, " on conflicts between Chinese and Western cultures, won special awards from the festival's judging committee. Leading Chinese film stars Zhang Guoli and Yuan Quan won the best actor and actress awards, respectively, for their outstanding performances in the movies "A Sigh," and "Love of Romance." With the theme of "Youth, Art and Culture," the festival opened April 15. During the one-month event, more than 100,000 college students across the country saw nearly 30 domestically-produced films. Among the 40 judges, two-thirds were college students, graduates or doctoral researchers. At the closing ceremony, the festival's most impressive award was given to this year's Oscar-winning Best Foreign Film -- " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The film "Silent River," produced by the China Children's Film Studio, won the best science and educational film award. The best director award was given to Xia Gang for his movie " Glass is Clear and Transparent." Also, three major awards resulting from direct votes by college students were given, together with the film festival awards. The most popular movie, actor and actress among college students awards went, respectively, to "The Treatment," Chen Jianbin and Wu Yue. A recent survey shows that in China's 2,000 colleges and universities, about 40 percent of the students said that watching films was their most important recreational activity. Zhang Changzheng, a student at the Shanghai Drama College, said that on weekends, cinemas on the campus showing movies and video programs are always packed with film fans. Warmly welcomed by college students are movies about college life. Many movies shown during the festival, such as " Chrysanthemum Tea" and "A Sigh," were popular because of their advanced camera techniques and modern themes. Zhou Xin, an official of the festival's organizing committee, said that the Chinese film industry is facing a severe challenge. Chinese art experts and film producers should make efforts to meet the demands of the domestic and international audiences, Zhou noted, so as to better convey Chinese-style stories via movies to the outside world. "Unlike the professional China Hundred Flowers Film Festival and the Golden Rooster Film Festival, the country's two top national film festivals, the college students' film festival is aimed to promote exchanges between young audiences and film makers, " he said. The young students' enthusiasm will greatly promote the development of China's film sector in the new century, he added. The film festival is jointly sponsored by Beijing Normal University, a video program center under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, China Film Foundation, Beijing Students' Union and two film companies. To date, the film festivals have attracted more than 900,000 colleges students. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |