Recognition demonstrates iQIYI's success in introducing
Chinese art house films to international audiences.
BEIJING, July 1, 2018
/PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the
"Company"), an innovative market-leading online entertainment
service in China, today announced that two of its originally
produced films have won awards at prestigious international film
festivals. iQIYI produced Mirrors and
Feathers won the "Best Artistic Contribution" award at
the Tarkovsky International Film Festival "Zerkalo" in
Moscow, and iQIYI's in-house
developed independent film Blue
Amber triumphed in the Shanghai International Film Festival's "New
Asian Talent" category, winning the award for "Best
Cinematography".
Mirrors and Feathers,
also known by its alternate title The
Widowed Witch, was directed by up-and-coming Chinese
director Cai Chengjie. The film tells the story of a widow in rural
China who is outcast from her community and
comes to possess magical powers. When her neighbors need help with
an exorcism, she is able to assist but is unable to save their
wicked hearts.
Prior to being recognized at "Zerkalo", an annual film festival
held in the memory of revered Russian film director Andrey
Tarkovsky, Mirrors and
Feathers had already won
a long list of international accolades. These include "Best Feature
Film" and "Best Director" awards at the FIRST Youth Film Festival,
the Hivos Tiger Award at the International Film Festival
in Rotterdam, as well as the Silver Lady
Harimaguada Award for Best Film, Best New Director, and the
Best Actress award at Spain's Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
International Film Festival. The film will be released to the
public in cinemas across China on
July 20.
Starring Wang Zhen'er,
Blue Amber tells the story
of a widow who takes financial revenge on the family involved in
the killing of her husband. The film was adapted from the novella
Two Hundred and Forty Months of
Life by esteemed Chinese author Xu Yigua and was written
and directed by Zhou Jie, a rising
young star in the world of Chinese cinema. Blue Amber is Zhou Jie's debut film and was developed through
iQIYI's initiative to cultivate exciting new directors in China.
China's art house film scene
has in recent years seen a rapid increase in both the quality and
quantity of its films. iQIYI is committed to bringing these works
to the attention of the discerning international film community.
The company has worked to support numerous upcoming Chinese
filmmakers, assisting them in all stages of the process, including
conception, production, and distribution. Like Mirrors and Feathers and Blue Amber, many of these films have
gone on to win international awards, such as The Summer is Gone, which won "Best
Feature Film", "Best New Actor" and the FIPRESCI Prize at
Taiwan's prestigious Golden Horse
Awards in 2016. Further examples of successful iQIYI productions
from new directors include My Town
and The Blizzard, both of which were well received by
audiences and demonstrate the continuing potential of the Chinese
film scene.
With the distinct advantages offered by its extensive user base
and leading online platform, iQIYI is uniquely placed to support
the development of China's art
house film movement. With audiences increasingly hungry for a
deeper and more reflective viewing experience, iQIYI believes the
independent film market has strong potential and will continue to
help up-and-coming directors achieve greater success, both in
China and abroad. The company
continually showcases art films through a specially curated section
of its online platform, as well as showings at its 'Yuke' brick and
mortar cinema franchise.
About iQIYI, Inc.
iQIYI, Inc. (NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company") is an
innovative market-leading online entertainment service
in China. Its corporate DNA combines creative talent with
technology, fostering an environment for continuous innovation and
the production of blockbuster content. iQIYI's platform features
highly popular original content, as well as a comprehensive library
of other professionally-produced content, partner-generated content
and user-generated content. The Company distinguishes itself in the
online entertainment industry by its leading technology platform
powered by advanced AI, big data analytics and other core
proprietary technologies. iQIYI attracts a massive user base with
tremendous user engagement and has developed diversified
monetization models, including membership services, online
advertising services, content distribution, live broadcasting,
online games, IP licensing, online literature and e-commerce etc.
For more information on iQIYI, please
visit http://ir.iqiyi.com.
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