The 5th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) adheres to the philosophy of "year-round screening, island-wide screening, universal viewing, and full-industry chain." Partnering with multiple cinemas in the Sanya Economic Circle and other cities and counties, it organizes film screening activities, featuring special events such as island-wide screenings, film exhibitions (Sanya), and outdoor screenings. Through a diverse and colorful "film+" ecosystem, it builds a bridge between films and audiences, creates a strong viewing atmosphere, and promotes the realization of "film and tourism integration, and cultural benefits for the people."
Multi-venue Screenings for Greater Convenience
Gentle waves lapped against the beach, playing a harmonious melody. In recent days, as an added outdoor screening venue for the "Golden Coconut Carnival" screening events in Wanning, the banks of Riyue Bay in Wanning have been bustling with people. Many citizens and tourists chased the sunset to enjoy the art of cinema at the closest open-air "cinema" to the sea.
"What an unforgettable night! Watching a movie under the starry sky with the sea breeze brings me a sense of nature and art, which feels different from watching a movie in a traditional cinema," exclaimed audience member Meng Fanrong.
Recently, in front of the giant open-air screen on the large lawn of Aranya Sanya, citizens and tourists who came to watch the movie filled the seats.
More than 90 kilometers away from Riyue Bay, at the top of Sanya Luhuitou Scenic Area and under the Luhuitou sculpture, everyone was glued to the big screen, laughing and applauding from time to time.
"The sunset is as beautiful as a painting, and the sea and sky merge into one color. Watching a classic film in such a beautiful place as Luhuitou is romantic and relaxing," said movie fan Juzi. She made a special trip from Chengdu to attend the 5th HIIFF, hoping to watch more films and listen to the creators share their creative journeys.
The screening venues for this edition of HIIFF include Haikou, Sanya, Danzhou, Wanning, Lingshui, Ledong, and Wuzhishan, covering the "east, west, south, north, and center" of the entire island. The activities are also more diverse, encompassing screenings at scenic spots, camping parties, film-themed markets, and derivative cultural and creative product sales. Audiences can step into cinemas, approach the seaside, climb to the mountaintop, or step onto the lawn, choosing the most comfortable posture to experience the charm of cinema.
Creative "Film+" Creates a New Lifestyle
"Hello, this is our newly launched floral art featuring film elements." In the evening, at the outdoor market on the large lawn of the Aranya Sanya community, Chang Liang was introducing to customers the floral products specially created for this film festival.
As the manager of a flower shop within the Aranya Sanya community, Chang Liang and his partners created floral products for the "Golden Coconut Carnival" that incorporate elements such as movie posters and classic movie lines, blended with floral arrangements. "We feel that both movies and flowers are embellishments of life and should be relaxed and pleasant, so we carefully selected classic lines from over 50 movies and integrated them into our floral products," Chang Liang said. He usually loves watching movies, and participating in the outdoor market this time allows him to attend screenings while taking care of business—the best of both worlds.
Recently, young visitors strolled through the market on the large lawn of Aranya Sanya.
Bonfires blazed, aromas filled the air, and melodious songs drifted... Not far away, Ye Shan, the manager of a Mediterranean Spanish restaurant, was busy taking orders for customers. At the stall, delicacies such as mulled wine and traditional Neapolitan pizza were highly popular. "We hope to further expand the market and build our brand through the carnival," Ye Shan said. In her view, the HIIFF "Golden Coconut Carnival" not only offers great viewing and entertainment, but its brand effect is even more attractive.
The "Golden Coconut Carnival" of the 5th HIIFF brought a colorful variety of cultural formats, including open-air film screenings, music and song performances, and gourmet and creative markets. It also invited film crews, celebrity guests, brand managers, artists, and local KOLs to participate, providing citizens and tourists with a brand-new experience visually, olfactorily, and gustatorily, and creating a strong movie-watching atmosphere.
Traveling with Films
In recent years, Hainan has frequently become a filming location for film and television works. Taking this year's summer box office as an example, the top two grossing films, No More Bets and Lost in the Stars, were both filmed in Hainan. It has become a consensus in the industry that Hainan is a "natural studio" with spring-like weather all year round. Popular scenic spots popularized by movies are attracting tourists to visit and check in one after another.
"This feeling is so romantic. A few friends gathering together, lazily lying on the sofa watching a movie—the atmosphere is fantastic. This travel experience is great!" said tourist Ji Xudong. They visited scenic spots during the day, and at night, they could enjoy movies in the sea breeze.
"Using film as the main thread, we have carefully selected Sanya's high-quality tourism resources that we most want to present to citizens and tourists, integrating the concept of 'film*film+tourism' into the entire film festival," introduced Ma Nan, Senior Director of the Sanya Tourism Development Board. The "Golden Coconut Carnival" of this festival focuses on outdoor viewing at four venues—the top of Luhuitou Mountain, the large lawn of Aranya Sanya community, The St. Regis Yalong Bay Resort, and Riyue Bay in Wanning—along with the "Traveling with Films" themed promotional series, launching special activities for "film and tourism integration, and cultural benefits for the people." Through a synchronized "online+offline" format, it provides citizens and tourists with an immersive entertainment experience across multiple aspects, including "food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment."
Recently, tourists took photos at the Luhuitou Scenic Area.
"Whenever we have free time, we love to travel, walk around, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Coming across the film festival screenings was a pleasant surprise, and the experience was fantastic," tourist Ms. Zhang told the reporter. In the past, visiting Sanya was mostly about enjoying the scenery, the sea, and the tropical vibes. This time, coinciding with the HIIFF, the Sanya scenic areas have added many experiential activities, giving her many new experiences.
"Whether it is variety shows, films, or television series, many production crews choose Sanya. We hope to integrate tourism resources with filming, leveraging various film and television art products to promote Sanya's tourism resources," Ma Nan stated. Once a program or a film and television work becomes popular, corresponding travel packages will be launched to attract tourists to visit Sanya.
At this film festival, Hainan extended the invitation of "Shoot in Hainan, Shoot Hainan" to filmmakers. In the future, more production crews will come to Hainan and Sanya. Leveraging the platform of the film festival, Sanya will promote the deep "marriage" between the tourism industry and film and television culture, strengthen coordinated development with cities and counties within the Sanya Economic Circle, shape a new calling card for the integration of culture and tourism in Sanya, create new formats, new consumption, and new highlights for this integration, and continuously unleash new momentum for the deep, integrated development of culture and tourism.
Source: Sanya Convergence Media Reporters Guo Zhihua/Text; Li Xueshi, Liu Qicheng, Hu Yongjun, Correspondent Yin Chunwei/Photos
Editor: Ye Ziyi
