Notícias

SHANGHAI -- A screening of Flight of the Red Balloon brought the 10th Shanghai International Film Festival to a gentle landing following the closing Jin Jue awards ceremony at Shanghai's Grand Theater with some of the film's Asian stars making a show of support for their film. The film, written and directed by Hsiao-hsien Hou, has been characterized as an homage to the 1956 Albert Lamorisse classic The Red Balloon. As a sign that the SIFF, held in China's most cosmopolitan city, is trying to meet its aspiration to become a truly world-class festival, the closing ceremony was a well organized and well attended event. There was a host of big name Asian stars including Jackie Chan (Forbidden Kingdom), Gong Li (Curse of the Golden Flower), Aaron Kwok (After This Our Exile) and director Hou.

The top award went to the German film According to the Plan by Franziska Meletzky; the jury Grand Prix was taken by the Swedish film The New Man by Klaus Haro; and Tian Zhuangzhuang garnered best director for China's The Go Master.

Production designer Phillip Vasels said it was a well executed event, especially compared to the previous night's Asian New Talent Award ceremony where he was one of the intrepid guests to brave the monsoon that struck just before the ceremony, flooding streets and making travel difficult.