French drama ‘Polina’ about a young woman’s journey to the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow opened the 1st International Film Festival & Awards • Macau (IFFAM) at the Macau Cultural Centre Tuesday.
The 2016 film, directed by Valerie Muller and Angelin Preljocaj, is based on the graphic novel Polina by Bastien Vives. The film was screened as part of the Venice Days programme at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival.
The IFFAM is organised by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Macau Films & Television Productions and Culture Association (MFTPA).
Besides ‘Polina’ film directors, its cast members Anastasia Shevtsova, Niels Schneider, Guskov Aleksei and producer Dider Creste were among the stars and celebrities at the red carpet and opening ceremony on Thuesday evening, such as actress Zhang Zhiyi and South Korean singer/actor and also the festival’s “talent ambassador” Jang Keun-suk, who have descended on the city for the six-day festival that will wrap up with an award ceremony on the closing night next Tuesday.
Alongside the presentation of the Official Competition Awards and the Macau Audience Choice Award, ‘Train to Busan’ cast members Kim Su-an, Kim Eui-sung and Choi Woo-sik and producer Lee Dong-ha will be in attendance to receive the inaugural Asian Blockbuster Film 2016 Award.
Over 50 titles will be shown during the festival, including 12 Competition films, 3 Gala films, 9 Hidden Dragon films, 12 Crossfire films, 9 Best of Fest Panorama films, 2 Clemens Klopfenstein Special Presentation films and 3 Actress in Focus films.
A raft of other activities will also be held during the event, such as master classes given by award-winning director Tom McCarthy of “Spotlight” and producer Gianni Nunnari as well as events titled Industry Hub, Crouching Tigers Project Lab, Creative Tee Contest, British Film Academy Project (BFI), CINEFANTASY International Short Film Screenwriting Competition 2016 and Macau Short Film Competition.
(Macau News/The Macau Post)
