Recap | A New Generation of Filmmakers’ Innovation
On June 10, day two of ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival commenced with flying colors. Located at the Department for Culture and Education of the German Consulate General in Shanghai, the three-hour screening opened with two short films from the Chinese Short Film Submissions: Gentleman Spa and The Outlying Islands.
A highlight of the evening was when we invited the trio behind The Outlying Islands onto the stage. Director Jin Lingxiao, along with Co-Director Jingwei Zhou, and videographer Gaofei Zheng conducted an excellent panel on their masterpiece.
Their project began two years prior, the film had many difficulties in acquiring time, money, resources, and actors. With only four and a half days to film, the team ended up cutting several scenes from the film. When inquired about the suicide plot in the film, Lingxiao admitted that he did not initially plan on doing it. He hopes to express his discontent with the way suicide and depression are thought about via his films, emphasizing that it is a topic that should be discussed.
After the lively Q&A session, the screening of two German short films began. Don’t Call Me Brotracks the story of a transgender male through the perspective of a young teenage girl. Another film, Islands delves into relationships between coach and pupil, student and student, as well as lover and lover. According to the director via a video message to ShanghaiPRIDE, he sought to explore themes of loneliness and the journey of finding someone.
The evening’s screening came to an end with the German film M/M, which plays with the sensual and the passionate, the gentle and the vibrant. The directors expressed their excitement about having the opportunity to share their work with the Shanghai audience via video messages. Festival Director, Raymond, also said that the screening of M/M is a bold statement for ShPFF.
We want to thank the Department for Culture and Education of the German Consulate General in Shanghai for the venue. Thanks to Diesel, Tenga, Blue Frog, Great Leap Brewing, and Xuhui CDC for their generous support and gifts.
