Today, the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) announced the event information for the Golden Coconut Awards shortlisted films. Multiple post-screening events will be held during the festival (December 4 to 10). Audiences can purchase tickets via 'Maoyan' to attend!
At the same time, the Promotion Ambassador for the 6th HIIFF was officially announced, with Hao Lei taking on the role. The brilliance of the silver screen reflects the myriad worlds; join the Promotion Ambassador to leave a unique winter cinematic scroll on Hainan Island.
Hainan Island International Film Festival Promotion Ambassador Hao Lei
Screening Ambassador Zhou Yiran
Tips for civilized viewing delivered!
The screening events of the 6th HIIFF will officially begin tomorrow. Screening Ambassador Zhou Yiran reminds everyone to set their mobile phones to power off or silent mode and lower the screen brightness to the minimum during the screening. Please do not talk or answer phone calls during the film, and recording, photographing, or audio recording is strictly prohibited. Let's work together with HIIFF to create a civilized viewing environment!
Golden Coconut Awards Competition Section
Feature Films
She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones
(Post-screening with Filmmakers)
December 8 15:50
December 10 10:30
She Sat There Like All Ordinary Ones
China Premiere | China | 2024 | 105min
Director: Qu Youjia Qu Youjia
Cast: Zhang Taiwen Zhang Taiwen / Miao Jijun Miao Jijun
Synopsis: Zhuang Zhou, who always goes with the flow in Class 7 of his senior year, is drawn to the aloof female classmate Meng Ke on the track and field team. He takes the blame for Meng Ke for stealing the starting pistol, thereby forming a bond with the teachers and students on the team. Meng Ke keeps everyone at arm's length, leaving Zhuang Zhou completely puzzled. The challenges within the perplexities of youth have just begun; under high pressure, the classmates harbor their own concerns as they are about to come of age and embark on divergent journeys. As the graduation ceremony arrives, Zhuang Zhou steps up to the podium and, facing the future, fires a shot.
Director Biography: Qu Youjia studied at the Beijing Film Academy and graduated with a major in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her short film Zhu Meijing won the Best Film Award at the Paris Night Sky Awards in France; her short film Three Feet won the Best Short Film Award at the FIRST Youth Film Festival and was selected for the Competition Section of the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Gijón International Film Festival in Spain. Her feature film project in development, LAVA, was shortlisted for the Asian Project Market at Busan and the Berlin Co-Production Market.
Invention
(Post-screening with Filmmakers)
December 8 15:50
Invention
Asia Premiere | USA | 2024 | 72min
Director: Courtney Stephens Courtney Stephens
Cast: Callie Hernandez Callie Hernandez
Synopsis: After the death of her father, a man full of conspiracy theories, his daughter inherits the patent for his experimental therapeutic device. Using archival footage of actor Callie Hernandez's real late father, Invention delves into the remembrance and reconciliation with the father, treating the very act of filmmaking as a process of mourning complex familial relationships.
Director Biography: Courtney Stephens is a writer/director. The documentary The American Sector, co-directed with Pacho Vélez, was named one of the best films of 2021 by The New Yorker. Her essay film Women's Land, composed of amateur travel documentaries filmed by women in the early 20th century, was a New York Times Critics' Pick. Her work has been screened at film festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, SXSW, and the New York Film Festival.
My Friend An Delie
(Post-screening with Filmmakers)
December 8 19:30
My Friend An Delie
China Premiere | China | 2024 | 110min
Director: Dong Zijian Dong Zijian
Cast: Liu Haoran Liu Haoran / Dong Zijian Dong Zijian / Yin Tao Yin Tao / Dong Baoshi Dong Baoshi / Ning Li Ning Li / Han Haolin Han Haolin / Chi Xingkai Chi Xingkai
Synopsis: Li Mo and An Delie, with starkly different personalities, become close friends through football. However, an accident causes An Delie to vanish from Li Mo's memory along with the memories of their youth. Years later, Li Mo 'reunites' with An Delie on his way to attend his father's funeral, and a dusty memory is gradually unveiled... The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Shuang Xuetao.
Director Biography: Dong Zijian graduated from the Central Academy of Drama and is active in the film and television fields. His representative works include Young Style, Mountains May Depart, Delan, and A Writer's Odyssey. His acting works have been recognized by domestic and international institutions. My Friend An Delie, as his directorial debut, marks the beginning of his journey as a director.
Pavane For An Infant
(Post-screening with Filmmakers)
December 8 20:05
Pavane For An Infant
Mainland China Premiere | Malaysia / Hong Kong, China | 2024 | 116min
Director: Chong Keat Aun Chong Keat Aun
Cast: Fish Liew Fish Liew / Natalie Hsu Natalie Hsu / Ben Yuen Ben Yuen / Pearlly Chua Pearlly Chua
Synopsis: In conservative Malaysia, the baby hatch remains an unspeakable taboo, seen by rising social conservatism as a symbol of moral decay. Lixin, Fatimah, Sister Qin, and Nuru work at a baby hatch in Kuala Lumpur, helping women of all ethnic groups face the dilemmas of bodily autonomy, swimming against the tide. Just as the end of Ramadan approaches, the underage girl Xiaoman teeters on the edge of abortion. Lixin attempts to save her, only to find herself once again trapped in the dilemmas of religion and patriarchy.
Director Profile: Chong Keat Aun is a Malaysian writer-director. His debut feature film The Story of Southern Islets won the FIPRESCI Prize and the NETPAC Award; his second feature film Snow in Midsummer was selected for the parallel section of the Venice Film Festival. The film also won the Best Film Firebird Award in the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Pavane For An Infant is his third feature film.
Holy Electricity
(Post-screening Q&A with Filmmakers)
December 9 10:30
Holy Electricity
Asian Premiere | Georgia | 2024 | 95min
Director: Tato Kotetishvili
Cast: Nikolo Ghviniashvili / Nika Gongadze
Synopsis: Young Gonga and his cousin Bat accidentally discover a suitcase full of rusty crosses in a junkyard. Bat has a brainwave and decides to transform these crosses into neon crosses, going door-to-door to peddle them to the residents of Tbilisi. Their wanderings in the city suburbs thus turn into an adventure in search of love and friendship.
Director Profile: Tato Kotetishvili was born in Georgia in 1987. Currently, Tato lives in Tbilisi, working as a director and cinematographer. His short film Ogasawara was previously screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His directorial debut Holy Electricity premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, winning the Best Film in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente and the Youth Jury Award.
78 Days
(Post-screening Q&A with Filmmakers)
December 9 13:30
78 Days
China Premiere | Serbia | 2024 | 85min
Director: Emilija Gašić
Cast: Pavle Cemerikic / Viktorija Vasiljevic / Milica Gicic / Tamara Gajovic
Synopsis: Two sisters use a home video camera to record their lives. Before enlisting, their father instructs them to capture beautiful moments. They film nature, the night sky during air raids, and tease their youngest sister, Tijana. Until one day, a mysterious brother and sister move next door. New friendships, the stirrings of first love, and the first experiences of heartbreak gradually replace their fear of the air raids.
Director Profile: Emilija Gašić was born in Serbia in 1991. She graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University with a master's degree in cinematography. Emilija grew up in a small Serbian town in the 1990s, a period when news reports were dominated by war, state collapse, and a sense of uncertainty. These profoundly influenced her artistic sensibility and shaped the observational style with which she builds tension and atmosphere in her filmmaking.
A Dark Light
(Post-screening Q&A with Filmmakers)
December 9 19:30
A Dark Light
Asian Premiere | Chile | 2024 | 77min
Director: Alberto Hayden
Cast: Francisco Pérez-Bannen / Patricia Rivadeneira / Vicente Pérez / Antonia Bannen
Synopsis: Josefina and Jorge meet by coincidence. Four years ago, Josefina lost a son who shared the same name: Jorge. What initially seems like an ordinary chance encounter gradually evolves into an obsession. Not only do they share the same name, but they also bear a striking physical resemblance. However, as their relationship deepens, an unbearable reality comes to light.
Director Profile: Alberto Hayden was born in Santiago, Chile, in 1981. He graduated from the Chilean Film Academy. Currently, he works as a teacher and filmmaker, engaging in directing, screenwriting, and editing across feature films, documentaries, and music videos. His works include the documentary series Random, the music documentary Pancontinental, and the feature film A Dark Light.
Golden Coconut Awards Competition Section
Feature Documentary
Fabric of Lives
(Post-screening Q&A with Filmmakers)
December 6 10:30
Fabric of Lives
China | 2024 | 84min
Director: Liu Guoyi
Synopsis: Two cotton-farming families in Xinjiang encounter various unexpected events during the busy cotton-picking season. They mobilize the whole family, just to be able to sell their cotton before the price drops below 10 yuan per kilogram.
Director Profile: Liu Guoyi is currently a director at the Central Newsreel and Film Studio (Group) and the head of the International Communication Department. She holds a master's degree from the Communication University of China and a PhD from the University of Cologne, Germany. Her documentary short Women at Fifty was screened at the 2018 International Women's Film Festival in Malmö, Sweden. The television documentary Cotton Picking Season was nominated for the Best Documentary Magnolia Award at the 28th Shanghai Television Festival.
An Oscillating Shadow
(Post-screening Q&A with Filmmakers)
December 7 13:30
An Oscillating Shadow
Asian Premiere | Chile | Argentina | France | 2024 | 77min
Director: Celeste Rojas Mugica
Cast: Celeste Rojas Mugica / Luis Rojas
Synopsis: A father and daughter, both photographers, engage in a dialogue in a darkroom that gradually evolves into a game: fictional stories are derived from photographs to reflect on past struggles, the consequences of fear, and the possibilities inherent in images for envisioning alternative futures. The film explores the power of images on both personal and societal levels, and how they can be perceived as a form of resistance.
Director Biography: Celeste Rojas Mugica, born in 1987, is a visual artist, photographer, and filmmaker. She holds a master's degree in film creation. She is dedicated to researching the relationship between territorial memory, violence, and imagination. Through experimental exploration of images and archival materials, she reflects on their social uses and political influence at the boundary between fiction and documentary.
Never Too Late
(Filmmaker Q&A)
December 7 16:00
Never Too Late
Asian Premiere｜China｜2023｜85min
Director: Yang Lizhu
Cast: Deng Guiying / Yang Qiaoyuan
Synopsis: At the age of 80, Deng Guiying insisted on divorcing her husband Yang Qiaoyuan, ending their sixty-year arranged marriage. To understand the reasons behind this, their granddaughter Yang Lizhu embarked on a journey of discovery.
Director Biography: Yang Lizhu was born in Hunan, China. She graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 2016, majoring in photography. She participated in a documentary workshop exchange program in collaboration with Shih Hsin University in Taiwan. Since 2020, she has been working as an independent documentary director, engaging in both commercial projects and independent documentary creation. Never Too Late is her debut feature-length documentary, which received support from the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation.
Who Cares?
(Filmmaker Q&A)
December 8 18:05
Who Cares？
China Premiere｜Belgium｜France｜Switzerland｜2024｜98min
Director: Alexe Poukine
Synopsis: At the training center of the Lausanne University Hospital, "fake" patients and "real" medical staff learn how to demonstrate care through simulated medical consultations. However, in an increasingly liberalized hospital system where medical personnel themselves face immense pressure and challenges, can this idealized doctor-patient relationship truly be achieved?
Director Biography: Alexe Poukine was born in France in 1982 and is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Her graduation film, Tiny Deaths (2008), was selected for multiple international film festivals. She has directed several well-known feature-length documentaries, such as Sleeping, Sleeping in Stone (2013) and Though Not Unto Death (2019), as well as the short fiction film Palma (2020).
The Speedway Murders
(Filmmaker Q&A)
December 9 10:30
The Speedway Murders
China Premiere｜USA｜Australia｜2023｜101min
Director: Luke Rynderman / Adam Kamien
Cast: Joseph Zada / Essie Randles / Todd McComas / Davida McKenzie
Synopsis: In 1978, in the Speedway town of Indianapolis, four young employees of a Burger Chef restaurant went missing at the end of their Friday night shift. Days later, their bodies were found in the woods, by which time the crime scene had been cleaned up and the restaurant had reopened. By recreating the case, the film explores different theories, breaks down traditional assumptions, and weaves a compelling suspense.
Director Biography: Luke Rynderman is an Adelaide-based screenwriter and director. He previously served as an art director at several leading graphic design companies in Australia, with credits including Leftover Family, Embrace the Child, and the Netflix series Clickbait. Adam Kamien is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and director, renowned for his investigative journalism skills. He has worked for the Australian Jewish News and served as a producer for the national radio broadcaster.
April in France
(Filmmaker Q&A)
December 9 18:10
April in France
Asian Premiere｜France｜2023｜77min
Director: David Boaretto
Cast: April Boaretto
Synopsis: A five-year-old British girl, April, reluctantly moves from Paris to a quaint village in southwestern France where her great-grandfather once lived. Convinced that he is merely resting in the cemetery, she waits for his return. In the meantime, she befriends his old friends, gradually opens her heart, experiences personal growth, and forever changes the lives of the adults around her.
Director Biography: David Boaretto graduated from law and business schools in Paris before pursuing a career in investment banking. A few years later, he left the profession to follow his passion for cinema. He independently participated in the production of Redemption (screened at the Cannes Film Festival) as an executive in charge of production, and served as an executive producer for Divided America, broadcast on Sky Italia. In 2020, David founded Radical Films in Paris. April in France is his directorial debut.
"Golden Coconut Awards" Competition Section
Short Film
(Short Film Collection Q&A)
December 8 13:00
Fence
Fence
Asian Premiere｜Russia｜2024｜25min
Director: Lev Evlampiev
Cast: Oleg Vykhodov / Vladimir Syrchikov / Ekaterina Romanova / Daniil Shantarin / Semyon Simakov
Synopsis: After his wife's passing, Valera lives alone in his parents' old house. Suddenly, his brother Tolya returns from Germany—he had fled to Germany, leaving his wife and daughter behind in Russia. The two rush to paint the fence before winter sets in, while trying to unravel the mystery of the Git cigarettes found in the closet. These memories lead them to re-examine their present lives.
Director Biography: Lev Evlampiev was born in Ufa in 1996. He worked as an assistant to Alexei German Jr. on the film The Sky, and was in charge of the second unit shooting on set. He is also the founder and speaker of the Moscow film club "kinowed".
Trees Painted in Tar
Trees Painted in Tar
China Premiere | Denmark | France | 2024 | 14min
Director: Casper Rudolf
Cast: Magnus Juhl Andersen / Søren Malling / Thomas Guldberg Madsen / Anders Kristian Aamodt / Gustav Scavenius
Synopsis: During what should have been a pleasant hunting trip, a teenager faces a difficult choice: seek his father's approval or uphold his own moral principles.
Director Biography: Casper Rudolf is a director based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His narrative short film Beneath the Soil premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2021 and was screened at numerous major film festivals worldwide. His filmmaking centers on the "grotesque," focusing on the metaphysical boundary between humanity and nature.
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
China Premiere | Belgium | Netherlands | 2024 | 24min
Director: Veerle De Wilde
Cast: Titus De Voogdt / Hadewych Minis / Pip Campbell / Naomi Velissariou
Synopsis: A young girl struggles to understand her mother's psychological issues while also seeking her own female identity.
Director Biography: Veerle De Wilde is a filmmaker based in Ghent, Belgium. After studying psychology at Ghent University, she pursued further studies in audiovisual arts at the KASK School of Arts. In 2020, she graduated with the short film Space Boy, which was selected for the Brussels Short Film Festival, among others. Ultraviolet is inspired by Veerle's experience as a psychotherapist.
Murmur of August
Murmur of August
World Premiere | Russia | 2024 | 14min
Director: Daur Ladariia
Cast: Nestor Parulua / Luca Kiriya / Valerii Harchilava / Maktina Djindjolia / Anna Vardaya
Synopsis: A group of high school graduates facing their impending new lives immerse themselves in the laughter and tears of their last summer day. They swim in the river, play cards, and enjoy each other's company, reluctant to face the reality of their upcoming parting. As the moment of departure draws near, the empty evening road and silence are broken by the noise of an old bus—the final echo of this summer.
Director Biography: Daur Ladariia is a director and screenwriter. He graduated from the directing laboratory at the Moscow State School of Cinematography in 2020, and subsequently released the film Humans. In 2021, he began preparing the feature film Skin. He participated in the development program and pitching forum of the New Holland International Debut Film Festival with his new short film project Scarab in 2022.
Poems of Timeless Acclaim
Poems of Timeless Acclaim
China | 2024 | 30min
Director: Wang Yining
Synopsis: China's first text-to-video AI animated film. Poems of Timeless Acclaim focuses on 200 poems from the national unified Chinese language textbooks. Relying on the "CCTV Listen Media Large Model" of the China Media Group, it uses AI technology to transform traditional poetry into a 200-episode Chinese-style animated series.
Director Biography: Wang Yining is the producer of The First Animation Park on the Comprehensive Channel of the China Media Group.
December 9 15:30
(Short Film Collection Post-Screening Event)
The Nature of Dogs
The Nature of Dogs
China Premiere | Thailand | USA | Singapore | Hong Kong, China | 2024 | 27min
Director: Pom Bunsermvicha
Cast: Chayanit Chansangavej / Sanya Kunakorn / Duangjai Hiransri / Wasin Panumaporn
Synopsis: A family of four and their dog visit a seaside hotel in Kui Buri, Thailand. What seems like an ordinary vacation reveals unspoken tensions in their relationships through a series of interactions. The next day, in a cave housing a Buddha statue, complex plots gradually unfold.
Director Biography: Pom Bunsermvicha is a filmmaker based in Bangkok, Thailand. His works often blend documentary and fictional elements and have been screened at numerous film festivals in Southeast Asia and abroad, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Locarno Film Festival.
Summit Song
Summit Song
Asian Premiere | Argentina | 2024 | 15min
Director: Federica Cafferata
Cast: Lucas Barletta / Justo Sánchez Vega / Virginia Zandomeni
Synopsis: Marco and Tomas, two brothers, struggle to survive in the treacherous Andes mountains. Their lives are fraught with danger due to their low-altitude location. With no other choice, they must embark on a journey to their ultimate hope—the summit.
Director Biography: Federica Cafferata graduated from the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires with a major in filmmaking. Her professional experience includes working as a director, assistant director, producer, and art director. Additionally, she has coordinated film workshops and events. Currently, she is taking a film criticism course while releasing her directed short film Summit Song, and writing the screenplay for her debut feature film.
The Bride Who Rides A Sleigh
The Bride Who Rides A Sleigh
Mainland China Premiere | Japan | 2024 | 29min
Director: Yoshiro Osaka
Cast: Aika Higashimori / Riku Tanaka / Moka Ebihara / Tomoki Yageta
Synopsis: In 1950s northern Japan, Kazuko chooses to defy her arranged marriage. This is a profound exploration of post-war Japanese traditions, social changes, and the evolution of family relationships.
Director Biography: Yoshiro Osaka was born in Hokkaido and moved to the United States at the age of 18 to study filmmaking at the City University of New York. His short film A Little Circus (2021) was selected for the Short Film Competition Section of the Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards.
Daphne Was A Torso Ending in Leaves
Daphne Was A Torso Ending in Leaves
Asian Premiere | UK | Italy | 2024 | 13min
Director: Catriona Gallagher
Synopsis: The myth of the goddess Daphne transforming into a laurel tree is reinterpreted in contemporary Rome. From the fences of park gardens to the laurel wreaths worn by graduates, this film, shot on black-and-white film and developed using laurel leaf infusions, delves deeply into the imagery of Daphne.
Director Biography: Catriona Gallagher is a visual artist and filmmaker working between the UK and Greece. Her practice explores the intersection of the constructed and natural worlds, focusing on overlooked details in physical environments and the psychological landscapes they map. In 2016, she founded the "A - DASH Project Space" in Athens.
Vox Humana
Vox Humana
China Premiere | Philippines | US | Singapore | 2024 | 22min
Director: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan
Cast: Bruce Venida / Sasa Cabalquinto / Ymeiliza Tabora
Synopsis: After an earthquake, the police discover a man in the forest. A zoologist, a sound recordist, and a news team work together to uncover the truth: this man might be the cause behind all the natural disasters in the town.
Director Biography: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan is a filmmaker from the Philippines, known for his films Singing in the Dark (which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize) and Cold Cuts (which was selected for the Cannes Directors' Fortnight). His works explore themes of trauma, spirituality, and nature through a cosmic perspective of post-colonial contexts and indigenous identity.
*Post-screening information is subject to actual arrangements
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