Sir Ian McKellen is to headline the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) in June this year, attending the opening ceremony and adding another high-profile name to the list of celebrities who have graced the Shanghai red carpet. The film grandee’s appearance is only one factor that gives this year's festival a distinctly British feel, which is looking about as UK-focused as a Chinese film festival feasibly can.
This year's silver screen splendour, which runs from June 11-19, SIFF will present ‘Shakespeare on Film’, together with the British Film Institute and British Council, showing classic British adaptations of Shakespeare’s works on the big screen over 100 years. Gandalf - sorry, Sir Ian - will hold a special on-stage discussion on June 12th, focusing on his interpretation of Richard III in 1995.
For something a little more fast-paced, check out the Jackie Chan Action Movie Week, which will involve 25 action films being screened around the city, with a judging panel deciding on awards for best fight and stunt. Also look out for the winners of the Asia New Talent Award and coveted Golden Goblet Award. Head of the judging panel this year is Serbian director Emir Kusturica, the film maker and actor who has twice won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
Founded in 1993, SIFF is China’s only A-category film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Association, so although Beijing launched its own festival in 2011, Shanghai has a few more credentials. Each year hundreds of films are shown across the city at various venues, although the political climate usually throws up problems for the organizers, who need to balance achieving international acclaim with appeasing government restrictions. Consequently, the Film Festival is usually a good time to catch movies that might not make it to general release here.
This year, organizers are keen to show that the domestic film industry has made progress. The ‘Shanghai Film Policies’, first announced by the city government in October 2014, included a number of subsidies and policies purporting to boost film producers and studios in the city. The Shanghai Film Industry Development Fund has since given cash to help make several pretty high-profile (if politically safe) films, such as kung fu adventure IP Man 3. And organisers say they have been building up their international collaborations, including links with film festivals in Tokyo, Busan, Toronto and Venice.
This year, SIFF organizers and local government will be hoping the festival is an opportunity to demonstrate the growth of a local film industry on a global platform. We’ll reserve our judgement until June on that - but politics aside, it's going to be a week of great films and plenty of stargazing.
Sir Ian has warned us you will need a ticket for the festival; if you don't have one, you shall not pass.