Immigrate to the UK focuses on life in the UK for immigrants: On October 26, the launch ceremony of the UK Raindance Film Festival Beijing Station was held in Beijing. At the event, director and writer Quan Ling, who was nominated for Best Debut Feature at the 22nd UK Raindance Film Festival in 2014 for the film "Stranger," producer Yang Keruo of the 2015 UK Raindance Film Festival Best International Short Film "Bie Pu," as well as producer Lu Wei of "Monkey King: Hero Is Back" and "Himalaya: Ladder to Heaven," and British actor, writer, and director Vander McLeod all took the stage to deliver speeches, unveiling the launch ceremony.
According to reports, the Beijing Station is the first branch of the UK Raindance Film Festival established in Asia. The 24th UK Raindance Film Festival will be held in London from September 21 to October 2, 2016, and will solicit films from the entire Chinese-speaking region. In terms of film solicitation, in addition to the regular main competition section, a special section for web series and a special invitation section for the festival's opening and closing ceremonies will be established, primarily recruiting Chinese-language films with distinctive Chinese characteristics and special artistic value. Chinese culture will be integrated on a large scale into the entire festival process for the first time.
Wang Chenyang, the person in charge of Raindance Beijing Station, stated that they will organically combine traditional British culture with the Chinese film market, serving as the first international film festival to "come in," and through pragmatic efforts, contribute to the development of film exchanges between the two countries. With the development of the times, film has transformed from a tool for entertainment to an important component of diplomacy, economy, and culture; it has also shifted from a niche pastime to a mainstream lifestyle. Therefore, in addition to the annual film festival event, Raindance Beijing Station is fully innovating and expanding, actively conducting online and offline pure English film training and striving to bring advanced foreign technology and theory into China; in addition, it regularly holds industry forums and various themed activities to promote the sharing of cutting-edge dynamics and build resource platforms; at the same time, it organizes themed film exhibitions to meet the dual needs of filmmakers and audiences.
Currently, the Raindance Film Festival, with its strong mainstream coverage, over 20 years of industry reputation, and 13 global sites, has become one of the most influential film festivals in the UK that connects directly to the Oscars and Cannes. Its first landing in Beijing requires more support and collaboration with more institutions to enhance the cultural exchange between China and the UK, working together to help more people with film dreams realize their aspirations as soon as possible.