"Curatorship for an international film festival is the craft and art of mindfully curating a bouquet of films that reflect the cultural, social, and artistic currents of a specific moment, creating a meaningful experience for local and regional audiences that transcends geographic, language, and cultural barriers, and expands their understanding through a global view of humanities and cultures."
2024
It all begins with understanding and compassion
2024 is not a year of stability. The world is turbulent politically, the economy is shrinking, and the aftereffects of the pandemic, which has already ended, continue to linger. In international relations, social intersections, as well as people's livelihoods and physical and mental health, still impact every individual.
I’ve always believed that a film is a story, and a film festival can serve as a medium. Especially for a large-scale, non-thematic, comprehensive festival like the Golden Rooster International Film Festival, it is able to record the collective consciousness and significant ideas of the global film community once a year through the shared perception of filmmakers worldwide. In fact, many overseas festivals that offer limited public access but maintain open ticketing are designed to let seasoned movie fans and critics skip the hassle of securing tickets and instead view the full selection. This not only makes it more convenient but also helps people better understand the curatorial logic of each festival, opening the door to meaningful dialogue.
The past year’s chaos has disrupted order, lost livelihoods, and fostered selfishness, obsession, corruption, evil, hatred, and injustice amid despair. Films mirror life—these various phenomena are reflected in the different films we’ve selected this year. For example, in Thank You for Banking With Us, the tragic absurdity becomes a joke, revealing widespread blindness; in Unsinkable, numbness represents corruption; and the terror experienced in Red Path embodies hatred. These high-quality works are invited to various international festivals not only because of their outstanding style, camera work, and storytelling but also because they deeply depict themes of growth, reconciliation, enlightenment, and hope. This is not only our primary criterion for selecting films but also the warm, positive energy that the Golden Rooster International Film Festival aims to deliver to its audiences.
This year, we feature 40 foreign-language films from around the world, mostly titles invited by major international festivals over the past year, with nearly 15 Chinese premieres. Besides reflecting current concerns mentioned above, we’ve also included works focused on women’s themes, such as the Bangladesh/UK co-production The House Named Shahana, and Japan’s To Mom, With Love. Our film selection team further broadened our scope this year, bringing in India’s big hit Maharaja and the Hollywood-UK co-production Megalopolis. We hope to connect more film lovers, guiding them into the vibrant world of the festival.
Under the leadership of the China Film Association, the Golden Rooster Film Festival has always been committed to developing international industry relationships and collaborations. This year, through our partnership with the IndieLisboa Film Festival in Portugal, we selected two locally acclaimed Portuguese films that go beyond the usual European standards: The Best of All Worlds and Savanna and the Mountain, a documentary that exemplifies the emerging “new” genre in recent international festivals. Our collaborations with festivals from different countries are not a new beginning, nor will they end this year. They have been ongoing, often unspoken, because industry cooperation is routine. However, recent global changes have made us increasingly aware of the disparities in culture, resources, and ideas, which can trigger many issues. During difficult times, problems can escalate. Everything begins with understanding. With understanding, respect and empathy can grow, preventing conflicts from deepening. As a festival, we will continue to expand international industry relationships and bring more outstanding films to audiences. We hope you will enjoy what we share.
Everything begins with understanding and compassion.
2024
一切从理解开始
2024年并不安稳。世界政局动荡、经济萎缩，已然结束的疫情，其后遗症并未消退，在国际社会的关系和交集，以至民生和个人身心健康上，仍影响着每一个人。
我总觉得，一部电影是一个故事，一个影展，则可以是一个媒体。特别是像金鸡国际影展这种体量的非主题性全境式影展，就能通过世界电影人的集体感知，每年一次，记录当时全球的精神面貌和重要想法。事实上，海外的影展许多设立限量的向外开放全票制，就是让资深的影迷和专业影评人，掠过入座购票的麻烦，得以看到选片全貌。方便之余，更能理解个别影展的策展逻辑，才能开启有意义的对话。
过去的一年，打乱了的秩序，遗失掉的生计，消沉中的信念滋生出诸多的自私、偏执、腐败、邪恶、仇恨与不义。电影就是生活的写照，凡此种种都反映在我们今年不同的片目上，好像《父亲的遗产》（Thank You for Banking with Us）中荒谬得悲剧成了笑话者是偏见，《永不沉没》（Unsinkable）的麻木不仁其实是腐败，《危险山道》（Red Path）中恐怖加害经历的原凶则是仇恨。这些优质作品所以受到不同国际影展的邀请，除了拍摄风格、镜头运用和叙事手法优胜，更在深刻的描绘、讽刺、指控之余，带出了成长、和解、升华和希望。这不仅是我们选片团对作品要求的主要原则，更是金鸡国际影展所希望为观众带出的有温度的正能量。
今年40部来自世界不同角落的外语片，大多是过去一年内国际级大影展的邀请作品，更有近15部为中国首映。除了上述反映当下关注的选作外，我们更有女性题材作品，例如孟加拉国/英国合拍片《莎哈娜之家》（The House Named Shahana），日本的《听妈妈的话》（To Mom, With Love）等。我们的选片团队，今年更拉宽了选片维度，引进印度的年度大片《因果报应》（Maharaja），以至好莱坞与英国的合拍《大都会》（Megalopolis），祈求与更多喜欢电影的观众结缘，带领他们踏进影展的缤纷世界。
金鸡国际影展在中国电影家协会的领导下，一向致力开发国际同业的关系和合作。今年，我们在葡萄牙电影节IndieLisboa推介下，选出了两部葡萄牙本土高认受而非泛欧洲标准的原味葡国片，《最好的世界》（The Best of All Worlds）和作为近两年间国际影展中的类型“新”贵——故事纪实片的《草原与高山》（Savanna and the Mountain）。这个与不同国家电影节的合作，并非从今年开始，也不会终止在今年。以往没高调提起，因为行业的合作是平常。可近两年间世局的转变，使我们越发明白文化、资源和观念上的落差，可以引发许多问题。而在艰难的困境下，问题容易变质。一切从理解开始。有了理解，才能生出尊重和同理心，才不至矛盾不断深化。作为影展，我们将持续开拓国际同业的关系和合作，将更多出色的电影带到观众面前，希望你能喜欢。
一切从理解开始。
2023
A Promise, A Persistence
I'm glad you're here! After a long wait, the Golden Rooster International Film Festival is pleased to welcome back our overseas filmmakers and international guests this year. As always, we have selected more than thirty excellent films, ranging from nearby Thailand to faraway Chile. Over half of these new films are not only premieres in China but have also been officially invited by renowned international film festivals. Among them are some national representatives competing for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
While the International Film Festival is just one section of the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival—and even the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Festival itself is not solely an international film festival—we still adhere to the highest standards of film selection akin to top international festivals. Indeed, global film festivals have faced significant challenges during and after the pandemic. Many have been introspecting, reallocating resources, and seeking alliances and cooperation to cope with changes in the economy and movie-going habits. Like many of our overseas counterparts, we considered whether to lower our standards and opt for more popular films to appeal to a wider audience. However, after careful thought and discussion, we decided to stay true to our original purpose: to provide a diverse selection of high-quality films beyond what audiences can see in cinemas, and to uphold our role as a leader rather than a follower. This decision stems not only from professional pride and ethics but also from our trust in the Golden Rooster audience and our commitment to pursuing beauty and excellence.
The Golden Rooster International Film Festival is a small but focused event emphasizing quality. In terms of filmmaker exchanges, we have invited presidents and curators of both well-established and emerging film festivals from various regions, offering opportunities for direct dialogue between filmmakers and festival organizers. The world is as vast as your vision allows, and we hope that in the years to come, this festival can introduce more outstanding and distinctive festivals from different regions, providing greater opportunities for Chinese filmmakers to showcase their work internationally.
Every edition of the festival requires immense effort and mental investment. Building something from scratch in a short period demands determination and insight. In today’s unpredictable global climate, these qualities are more essential than ever. The films we select each year reflect the spirit of the times—our shared emotional experiences, struggles, failures, successes, losses, growth, and hope. I believe you will find this year's selection compelling.
2023
一个承诺，一份坚持
高兴你来！经过长久的等待，国际影展今年高兴迎回我们的海外电影人和国际来宾。选片方面，一如既往，我们汇聚了来自近至泰国、远至智利的三十多部佳作；半数以上新片，不单是中国首映，更是知名国际电影节的官方邀请片，其中不乏奥斯卡外语片的国家代表。
诚然，国际影展只是中国金鸡百花电影节的其中一个单元，甚至，金鸡百花电影节本身亦非一个国际电影节。可是，在选片上，我们仍以国际影展的最高规格进行。事实上，全球的影展在疫中疫后受到严峻的考验，纷纷进行反思、资源调配，寻求联盟合作以应对经济、观影习惯改变带来的压力。如同许多海外同业一样，我们一度考虑，是否应该调低影片艺术成分的门槛，挑选更通俗的影片，投大众所好？经过反复思考和讨论，我们决定秉持初心，担起电影节提供戏院（电影院）以外，更多元优质电影选择的责任，维持引领而非跟随的角色。这个决定，虽有我们专业操守或骄傲的成分，但它更是一个承诺，其中有着我们对金鸡观影群鉴赏力的信任和追求美好事物的坚持。
金鸡国际影展规模不大，着重精益求精。在电影人的对外交流上，我们邀请了为数不多，却来自不同区域、历史悠久及新兴的影展主席/策展人出席，提供与会的创作人和他们直接对话的契机。世界有多大，在于视野有多广阔。希望往后的日子，国际影展有更多机会，重点介绍国际上不同地域的优良和特色影展，为电影人打开更多中国电影国际放映的机会。
每一届影展都是个挑战，非比寻常的时间精神投入，短时间内从无到有的决心是基本；在今天变幻莫测的世界局势下，洞悉力和定力又是一个新要求。国际影展每年的电影作品单，就如其间的时间纪录世情缩写，承载着我们共同的情感经历，失败成功，迷失、成长和盼望。今年的选片，我想你会喜欢。
2022
Our DNA
The annual Golden Rooster International Film Festival has kicked off again. As in previous years, audiences will enjoy over 30 outstanding foreign-language films. The festival’s selection principle has always been centered on gathering the best films from the largest number of countries possible. This year, unlike in past years, we have included more films officially invited by various international festivals and award-winning works, all integrated into the Panorama section, abandoning smaller segments to present a grand, unified showcase.
Expanding the pool of invited works from other festivals naturally enhances the viewing value for filmmakers, offering inspiration and insights into filmmaking techniques, storytelling structures, cinematic language, and visual art. But what does it mean for the general audience?
First, it’s important to clarify that we do not regard the selection principles of other festivals as benchmarks. The Golden Rooster International Film Festival has its own unique approach and criteria, with a clear perspective and purpose. Like maximising the inclusion of films from diverse national origins, we aim to broaden our coverage of different festivals with a single goal: to present a vibrant mosaic of cultures within a limited selection and schedule. We believe that through the contrast of different cultures, we can better understand ourselves.
French modernist thinker Roland Barthes once said The Death of the Author suggesting that once a work is finished and leaves the creator’s hands, its life extends through the audience’s reception. For films traveling across oceans and arriving in China, meaningful understanding requires our Chinese perspective and values. On a macro level, the unique cultural essence of the Chinese nation — or more specifically, core elements and DNA within Chinese cinematic culture, such as chivalry, virtue, artistic conception, “leaving blank” (「留白」as a conscious artistic intent of leaving blank intentionally for readers’/audience’s imagination), inclusiveness, the collective self, and national identity — have they been transplanted into foreign-language films after re-packaging?
On a micro level, how individual viewers interpret a film, especially those from different countries, depends not only on the collective cultural DNA but also on personal traits, education, worldview, and taste. So, a film can evoke a thousand different opinions. It can receive wildly divergent evaluations. And beyond assessing a film based on its inherent quality, the true insights often come from the evaluator’s own background and perspective. This is one of the fascinating aspects of cinematic art.
We live in a sensitive era. To truly understand current global conditions, we must start with self-awareness. This year, to make watching films more engaging, our international festival especially invites you, with your unique Chinese emotions, thoughts, experiences, and background, to appreciate and interpret the carefully curated films we present. We hope that participating in the festival and viewing these films will not only give you a symbolic sense of occasion but also help you reconnect with your rich emotional self.
2022
我们的基因
一年一度的金鸡国际影展开锣了，如同往年一样，观众将欣赏到30余部优秀外语片。影展的选片方向，始终贯彻于尽量搜罗来自最多国家的顶尖影片。和往年不同的是，今届我们囊括了更多来自世界不同电影节的官方邀请电影和得奖作品；暂且摒弃了小单元，一并放在Panorama的大观园内。
搜罗更多其他影展的邀请作，对电影人而言，自然更能提高观摩价值，带来制作技法、故事结构、电影语言和视艺上的启发和冲击。对大众影迷来说，意义又何在？
首先说明，我们并不以其他电影节的选片准则为标杆，金鸡国际影展的选片逻辑，自带一套独特的针对性和提示性。事实上，如同取录国家来源地最大化的电影一样，我们企图扩阔对不同影展的涵盖性；其目标只有一个——在有限的片目和场数中呈现更缤纷的文化。我们相信，在更多不同文化的对比下，我们更能认清自身。
法国近代作家罗兰·巴特有句名言：“作者之死”，大概意思是说，当一件作品完成，离开创作人的手，面对群众，作者的任务即完结，作品的生命在读者的目光下得到延伸。就比如环球的电影，远道重洋来到中国，怎样被阅读理解，还得通过我们中国人独特的眼光和价值观。宏观上，中华民族特有的文化，或者，更确切地说，中国视象电影文化中的重要DNA，如侠义、德行、意境、留白、包容、大我、国家/家国等等元素和观念，可曾换装后出现在外语电影当中呢？狭义上，个别观众怎样接受一部片，特别是来自不同国度的电影，除了上述等等集体拥有的文化DNA外，就看个人的个性、修为、知识结构和世界观了。所以，一部电影，有千百个看法。所以，一部电影，有南辕北辙的评价。所以，一部电影的评价，是影片本身素质论点的指标外，透露更多的，反而是评者自身。这亦是电影艺术其中一个引人入胜的地方。
这是一个敏感的时代。要认清时局世情，需由认识自我开始。今年，为了提高观影的趣味性，国际影展特别邀请你，怀抱着中国人的独有情感、考虑及自身背景和经历，去欣赏、玩味我们为你悉心挑选的影片。我们希望，参与影展活动和观影，除了带给大家仪式感的符号价值外，更能带给你再次认清自己的丰满情感价值。
2021
A Long-Awaited Arrival
Thank you for your patience! The 2021 Golden Rooster International Film Exhibition has finally taken place in the cool weather, allowing us to meet in person. Audience members in Xiamen and film enthusiasts from across the country will enjoy 38 outstanding foreign-language films, half of which are world premieres in China—top-tier works of international acclaim.
Every year around this time, we are often asked about the selection philosophy and curatorial approach of the film exhibition. Those familiar with us know that the Golden Rooster International Film Exhibition is a key part of the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, yet it is not an isolated international festival on its own. We coexist alongside other sections of the Golden Rooster Festival, as well as numerous forums, pitching events, and industry activities. Our core goal is consistent: to foster dialogue about film art and to explore industry development collectively.
The main distinction between the film exhibition and other festival components is that we engage with both professional filmmakers and general audiences. As an international festival, we continue to open doors for interaction and exchange.
Film is an infinitely vast realm, yet our space is limited. How do we showcase the broadest perspectives within just forty films? How do we reflect the life and emotions of diverse ethnic groups through storytelling in light and shadow, so as to resonate with contemporary global issues and human concerns? These are the questions we pursue as a goal and as a discipline. Guided by this orientation, our international film exhibition has always adopted an expansive, panoramic approach—similar to the “Panorama” sections seen in many renowned overseas festivals.
Typically, "Panorama" sections at major international festivals serve two main functions: one, to showcase works from the most diverse range of countries; and two, to feature official invitations and award-winning films from that year's major festivals. We combine these functions into one.
This year, under the spirit of “Panorama,” we extended the theme to include a special segment focusing on the “BRICS” countries. Through films such as Small Happiness of Life (Brazil), The Magical Journey to Find Marla (India), The Hotel of Cops (South Africa), Eisa Land, and Palma (Russia)—all lively, charming works spanning shorts, fantasy, realism, and feel-good genres—we gain a glimpse into the lives of these five nations, which, along with China, make up 42% of the world’s population. Culture is soft power; population is hard resource. This segment offers valuable insights for both industry insiders and general film fans alike.
Following our usual practice, all foreign-language films in the festival are divided into competition and non-competition categories, each with Chinese and English subtitles. The opening film, A Cup of Road (Director: Naji Abu Nowar, Producer: Wong Kar-wai), is a noteworthy Asian co-production—especially rare.
“Series of Highlights” is a new screening format we are trying this year, where films by director Semih Kapanoglu—part of the same series as The Obligation of Asli and Hassan’s Obligation—will be screened consecutively for the convenience of hardcore film fans.
We also feature a “Classic Restorations” section, which includes four restored films from different eras and countries. Details are on the following pages.
Finally, we are pleased to present a special screening of The Year of the Eternal Storm, a collaboration among seven renowned directors from China, the United States, Iran, Chile, and Thailand. Filmed across multiple countries, this film is a heartfelt tribute from many filmmaking masters, offering a poetic ode to cinema, civilization, and resilience amid the pandemic.
2021
让大家久等了！
2021年度金鸡国际影展在微寒的天气下，终于与各位实体相见。厦门观众和全国亲临的电影人，将欣赏到38部有温度的优秀外语片，其中半数，更是享有中国首映的世界顶级作品。
每年这个时候，我们都会被问到影展的选片方向和策展理念。熟悉我们的人都会知道，金鸡国际影展是中国金鸡百花电影节中重要的一环，却非一个独门独户的个体国际影展。我们与金鸡其他的影展，以至众多的论坛、创投大会和行业活动并驾齐驱，核心目标一致，共话电影艺术，同谋行业发展。影展与其他环节最主要的分别是，我们同时面向专业电影人和大众影迷。在国际影展而言，当然还有继续在开放路上，出演互动交流的角色。
电影是个无穷的国度，我们拥有的却是有限的空间。怎样在四十部片的额度内展现最多元的视野；让不同族群、人种通过光影情节诉说出生活、情感的渴求，从而感应当今世情和人类共同的关注，是目标，更是门学问。在这取向与条件下，国际影展一贯采纳扩散式的选片态度，比较类像许多海外国际电影节的“广角镜”（Panorama）。整个影展如是。所谓“广角镜”，在国际有名的影展中，普遍有做法二种，一是作为开放给最多不同国家作品的单元，二是装载当年在其他大影展中众多的官方邀请片和得奖作的处所。我们是两合为一。
今年，我们在“广角镜”精神下延伸，点题出“金砖五国”小板块。通过影片《生活小确幸》（巴西）、《寻找马拉的奇幻之旅》（印度）、《科皮斯的酒店》（南非）、《艾莎之地》和《帕尔玛》（俄罗斯）几部包括小品、奇幻、写实、抒情的讨喜明快作品，我们得以窥探这连中国在内，共占世界人口比例高达42%五国联盟的生活横切面。文化是软力量，人口是硬资源。这个小板块，无论是业界或大众影迷都会各有所得。
按往年惯例，金鸡国际影展的外语片，不论单元板块划分，全数分为竞赛/非竞赛两大类，全部配以中、英文字幕。今年的开幕电影《一杯上路》（导演：纳塔吾·彭皮里亚、监制：王家卫）是部值得推介、相对难得的亚洲合拍电影。“好戏连场”是排片上的新尝试，我们会将土耳其导演赛米·卡普拉诺格鲁来自同一系列的《阿斯利的义务》和《哈桑的义务》前后连排，便利硬核影迷的观赏。另一专为资深影迷而设的“经典修复”，包含了四部来自不同年代和国家的修复电影，详细介绍请看后页。最后，我们希望以“特别献映”点提一部由全球七位著名导演合作，摄于中国、美国、伊朗、智利、泰国的《永恒风暴之年》。该片可以说是众电影大师们在疫情下写给电影、人类文明、顽强坚毅的一封情书。
这两年，疫情的迷雾始终没能完全离开，国际影展和其他范畴的金鸡工作人员，以至国内的其他影展，莫不面对众多不稳定因素的影响，谨慎地艰辛前行。若不是对电影有深情的热爱、知道有你对影展热切的期盼，实在难以持续。谢谢你不离不弃的等待，“因为相信，所以坚持”，预祝大家观影愉快！
2020
Embracing Diversity and Empathy in International Cinema
The festival has officially opened. Words cannot fully express how excited we feel! Over the past ten months, we have been cautiously observing the developments while simultaneously making various plans to face the significant challenges ahead. We’ve met these challenges successfully.
For this year's international film screenings, our selection team invited 32 films from over 30 countries, aiming to showcase the diversity of resources and cultural backgrounds worldwide. The films include works from Ethiopia, Argentina, and Palestine, as well as recent titles such as Cannes Official Selection films Love Affair(s) and The Death of Cinema & My Father Too. Additionally, the lineup features the Venice Giornate degli Autori debut 200 Meters, and several Asian premieres, including the South Korean box office hit Deliver Us from Evil.
Our guiding principle for film selection has always been to choose high-quality films with artistic achievement and diverse genres, fostering exchange and appreciation. Since the Golden Rooster Film Screenings established its home in Xiamen in 2019, we have opened our screenings to the general public. Public participation has added a new layer of social responsibility to our professional criteria, as we aim to provide film enthusiasts with access to outstanding works that are usually difficult to encounter. Our goal is to cultivate a larger, more diverse audience of cinephiles who seek meaningful and artistic cinema. Therefore, we always strive for a balanced selection — films that maintain artistic integrity while also appealing to viewers.
This year, the world has endured a wide range of hardships—diseases, natural disasters, large-scale conflicts, and human-made destruction—leaving deep scars globally. We hope that, in exploring films from different nations, audiences will pay attention to the characters and backgrounds of these stories, attempting to view the world from the perspective of the characters onscreen. We do not seek complete agreement but value understanding and empathy.
“Empathy” — this is the core theme guiding our selection for this year's Golden Rooster International Film Screenings.
2020
拥抱多样性与同理心的国际电影
开幕了，难以形容这无比的兴奋！之前十个月，一边怀着忐忑的心情观望，一边做着不同的计划应对巨大考验，我们通过了。
今年的国际影展，我们的选片团队邀请到来自超过30个国家的32部影片，期望这些电影能将世界地方资源和文化背景的差异最大化突显出来。作品当中有远自埃塞俄比亚、阿根廷、巴勒斯坦的影片，也有今年戛纳官方邀请电影《情事》（Love Affair(s)）、《电影院和我父亲的死亡》（The Death of Cinema & My Father Too），新鲜出炉的威尼斯Giornate Autori新导演单元作品《200米》（200 Meters），以及多部包括韩国票房电影《从邪恶中拯救我》（Deliver Us from Evil）在内的亚洲首映作品。
我们的选片原则，一贯秉持着挑选高艺术成就、类型多样化的优质片，以及有利于交流观摩的宗旨。与往昔不同的地方是，自2019年金鸡影展落户厦门开始，我们开放了票房，欢迎电影爱好者加入观片的行列。因为有了公众的参与，使部分选片在纯专业的操作上，多了一层社会责任的考虑。我们的首要目标，是怎样为从厦门开始，扩散出去的艺术文艺爱好者，提供平常难以接触的优质作品选择，进而开拓更大、更有追求的观影群体。因此，我们始终希望，入选的电影，在艺术高度和可观赏程度上，有适当的平衡。
今年，全球人类共同经历了疾病、自然灾害以及大规模人为争端与破坏，伤痛不浅。我们期求观众在欣赏来自不同国度的作品之余，注意故事发生的人物和背景，尝试进入片中角色，换位思考。不求认同但求理解。
“同理之心” — 正是本届金鸡国际影展选片的主题。
