Recently, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the closing ceremony of the 2024 Youth Film Week (Zhejiang) coincided with the opening of the 2024 Zhejiang University Student Film Season. The event aims to promote the flourishing development of Zhejiang’s film culture and ignite the creative passion of young filmmakers. The film season is set to run for two months.
At the event, the five “Most Loved Films of the Year by University Students” were announced. The winners included “The 20th Line,” “All In,” “Volunteers: Heroes of the War,” “The Wandering Earth 2,” and “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.” The selection process involved students from various universities in Zhejiang, who collectively voted for their favorites from a pool of 67 Chinese-language films released in theaters between January 1, 2023, and September 10, 2024 (excluding animated films).
At the opening ceremony, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education and the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League issued a call to action for universities in the province and established the “Zhejiang University Student Film Season University Alliance.” This initiative aims to create an important platform for communication and collaboration among young filmmakers.
Weilu, the rotating chair of the organizing committee for the 2024 Zhejiang University Student Film Season and Deputy Principal of Zhejiang Media College, presented an overview of the film season activities. He shared that this year’s theme is “Youth in Light and Shadow,” focusing on the perspectives of university students through viewing, evaluating, creating, and organizing films.
The film season will be organized into three main segments: the opening and closing ceremonies, a public section, and a professional section. The public section aims to develop activities that resonate with university students, including a touring showcase of outstanding films, the selection of the “Most Loved Films of the Year by University Students,” and a film review competition. The professional section targets university students interested in film creation, offering workshop sessions with renowned filmmakers, academic discussions, and sharing events.
Weilu emphasized that as one of the event’s organizing partners, Zhejiang Media College is committed to cultivating high-quality media talent and contributing to the prosperity of Zhejiang’s film and cultural industry. He extended an invitation to individuals from all walks of life to collaborate in creating films that preserve and promote the excellence of traditional Chinese culture, thereby advancing the high-quality development of the Chinese film industry.
“We hope that by hosting the University Student Film Season, we can attract more university students to appreciate, reflect on, and create films, ultimately becoming a vital force in supporting and promoting the film industry,” Weilu stated.
