The FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films; English: International Federation of Film Producers Associations) based in Paris, created in 1933, is an organization composed with 31 member associations from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries. FIAPF is also in charge of supervising international film festivals, including some of the world's most important ones.

FIAPF helps producers formulate policies and coordinate political action in these key areas:

• Copyright and related intellectual property rights' legislation
• Enforcement of IPR legislation and anti-piracy action
• Deployment of digital technologies and their impact on the audiovisual value chain
• Technology standardization process
• Media regulation
• Private and public sector film financing mechanisms
• Trade-related issues

Members[link]

• Asociación General de Productores Cinematográficos (Argentina)
• Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Visuales (Argentina)
• Screen Producers Association of Australia (SPAA, Australia)
• Fachverband der Audiovisions und Filmindustrie (Austria)
• Canadian Film and Television Production Association (Canada)
• China Filmmakers Association (China)
• Audiovisual Producers' Association (APA, Czech Republic)
• Danish Film and TV Producers (Denmark)
• Egyptian Chamber of Cinema Industry (Egypt)
• Suomen Elokuvatuottajien Keskusliitto (SEK, Finland)
• Spitzenorganisation der Filmwirtschaft e.V. (SPIO, Germany)
• Association of Icelandic Films Producers (Iceland)
• Film Federation of India (India)
• National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC, (India))
• The Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds - Khaneh Cinema (Iran)
• Unione Nazionale Produttori Film (ANICA, Italy)
• Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (Japan)
• Netherlands Association of Feature Film Producers (Netherlands)
• Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA, New Zealand)
• Norske Film and TV Produsenters Forening (Norway)
• Film Producers Guild of Russia (Russia)
• Motion Picture Producers Association of Korea (South Korea)
• Korean Motion Picture Producers Association (South Korea)
• Korean Film Commission (KOFIC, South Korea)
• Federación de Asociaciones de Productores Audiovisuales de España (Spain)
• Swedish Filmproducers' Associations (Sweden)
• Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (United Kingdom)
• Independent Film and Television Alliance (United States)
• Motion Picture Association (United States)

Accredited film festivals[link]

As of 2008, the FIAPF provided accreditation to 52 film festivals worldwide. The FIAPF categorizes the film festivals as Competitive, Competitive Specialised, Non-Competitive and Documentary/Short Film.^[1]

Competitive film festivals[link]

The following film festivals have been given competitive status by the FIAPF.^[2]

• Berlin International Film Festival
• Cairo International Film Festival
• Cannes Film Festival
• International Film Festival of India (Goa)
• Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• Locarno International Film Festival
• Mar del Plata Film Festival
• Montreal World Film Festival
• Moscow International Film Festival
• San Sebastián International Film Festival
• Shanghai International Film Festival
• Tokyo International Film Festival
• Venice Film Festival
• Warsaw International Film Festival

Competitive specialised film festivals[link]

The following film festivals have been given specialised competitive status by the FIAPF.^[3]

• International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (Asian, central Asian and European films)
• Festival de Cine de Bogotá (first feature films)
• Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (fantasy and science fiction films)
• Cartagena Film Festival (iberic and latin-american films)
• Courmayeur Noir In Festival (crime films)
• Lucas International Children's Film Festival (children's film)
• Flanders International Film Festival Ghent (impact of music on films)
• Gijón International Film Festival (impact of music on films)
• International Istanbul Film Festival (art-oriented films: literature, theatre, music, dance, and fine arts)
• Jeonju International Film Festival (first feature films)
• International Film Festival of Kerala (Asian, African and Latin American films)
• Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival (first feature films)
• Los Angeles Film Festival (AFI Fest) (documentaries and first and second feature films)
• Festival international du film francophone de Namur (francophone films)
• Busan International Film Festival (formerly Pusan International Film Festival) (first feature Asian films)
• Sarajevo Film Festival (central and south-eastern European films)
• Festroia International Film Festival (films from countries producing less than 30 features per year)
• Sitges Film Festival (fantasy and horror films)
• Stockholm International Film Festival (avant-garde)
• Sydney Film Festival (avant-garde directing)
• Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Asian, central Asian and European films)
• Thessaloniki International Film Festival (first feature films)
• Torino Film Festival (first feature films)
• Cine Jove Valencia International Film Festival (first feature films)
• Mostra de València (mediterranean film)
• New Horizons Film Festival (avant-garde)
• goEast Festival of Central and Eastern European Films in Wiesbaden (eastern and central European films)
• Transilvania International Film Festival (first and second feature films)

Non-competitive film festivals[link]

The following film festivals have been given non-competitive status by the FIAPF.^[4]

• Toronto International Film Festival
• Norwegian International Film Festival
• Kolkata Film Festival
• BFI London Film Festival
• Vienna International Film Festival (Viennale)

Documentary and short film festivals[link]

The following film festivals are for documentary and short films.^[5]

• Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films
• Kraków Film Festival
• International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
• Message to Man
• Tampere Film Festival

References[link]

External links[link]

• FIAPF Official Website
• Directory of FIAPF-accredited film festivals (PDF)

Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou honored at a press conference (2005)
Chinese name	張藝謀 (Traditional)
Chinese name	张艺谋 (Simplified)
Pinyin	Zhāng Yìmóu (Mandarin)
Origin	China
Born	(1951-11-14) November 14, 1951 (age 60) Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Occupation	Film director, producer, cinematographer and actor
Spouse(s)	Hua Xie
Awards Golden Rooster Awards Best Director 1999 Not One Less 2000 The Road Home Best Actor 1988 Old Well Other awards BAFTA Best Film not in the English Language 1991 Raise the Red Lantern 1994 To Live Golden Bear - Berlin Film Festival 1987 Red Sorghum Silver Lion - Venice Film Festival 1991 Raise the Red Lantern Golden Lion - Venice Film Festival 1992 The Story of Qiu Ju 1999 Not One Less Grand Jury Prize - Cannes Film Festival 1994 To Live BSFC Award for Best Director 2004 House of Flying Daggers NSFC Award for Best Director 2004 Hero ; House of Flying Daggers

Zhang Yimou (born November 14, 1951)^[1][2] is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer.^[3] He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his directorial debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum.^[4]

Zhang has won numerous awards and recognitions, with Best Foreign Film nominations for Ju Dou in 1990 and Raise the Red Lantern in 1991, Silver Lion and Golden Lion prizes at the Venice Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.^[5] In 1993, he was a member of the jury at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.^[6]

One of Zhang's recurrent themes is the resilience of Chinese people in the face of hardship and adversity, a theme which has been explored in such films as, for example, To Live (1994) and Not One Less (1999). His films are particularly noted for their rich use of colour, as can be seen in some of his early films, like Raise the Red Lantern, and in his wuxia films like Hero and House of Flying Daggers. His most recent film is a historical drama war film called The Flowers of War.

Early life[link]

Zhang was born in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province. Zhang's father, a dermatologist, had been an officer in the National Revolutionary Army under Chiang Kai-shek during the Chinese Civil War, and an uncle and an elder brother had followed the Nationalist forces to Taiwan after their 1949 defeat. As a result, Zhang faced difficulties in his early life.^[7][8]

During the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, Zhang left his school studies and went to work, first as a farm labourer, and later at a cotton textile mill in the city of Xianyang.^[8][9] During this time he took up painting and amateur still photography.

Early career[link]

When the Beijing Film Academy reopened its doors to new students in 1978, following the abandonment of policies adopted during the Cultural Revolution, Zhang, at 27, was over the regulation age for admission, and was without the prerequisite academic qualifications. After a personal appeal to the Ministry of Culture, and showing a portfolio of his personal photographic works, the authorities relented and admitted him to the Faculty of Cinematography. Zhang graduated with the class of 1982, which also included Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, and Zhang Junzhao. The class went on to form the core of the Fifth Generation, who were a part of an artistic reemergence in China after the end of the Cultural Revolution.^[1][8][10]

Zhang and his co-graduates were assigned to small regional studios, and Zhang was sent to work for the Guangxi Film Studio as a cinematographer. Though originally intended to work as director's assistants, the graduates soon discovered there was a dearth of directors so soon after the Cultural Revolution, and gained permission to start making their own films. This led to the production of Zhang Junzhao's One and Eight, on which Zhang Yimou worked as director of photography, and Chen Kaige's Yellow Earth, in 1984. These two films were successes at the Hong Kong Film Festival and helped to bring the new Chinese cinema to the attention of worldwide audiences, signaling a departure from the earlier propagandist films of the Cultural Revolution.^[1][10] Yellow Earth is today widely considered the inaugural film of the Fifth Generation directors.^[10][11][12]

In 1985, after moving back to his home town of Xi'an, Zhang was engaged as cinematographer and lead actor for director Wu Tianming's upcoming film Old Well, which was subsequently released in 1987. The lead role won Zhang a Best Actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.^[10]

Film director[link]

1980s[link]

1987 saw the release of Zhang's directorial debut, Red Sorghum, starring Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role. Red Sorghum was met with critical acclaim, bringing Zhang to the forefront of the world's art directors, and winning him a Golden Bear for Best Picture at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival in 1988.^[13]

Codename Cougar (or The Puma Action), a minor experiment in the political thriller genre, was released in 1989, featuring Gong Li and eminent Chinese actor Ge You. However, it garnered less-than-positive reviews at home and Zhang himself later dismissed the film as his worst.^[14]

In the same year, Zhang began work on his next project, the period drama Ju Dou. Starring Gong Li in the eponymous lead role, along with Li Baotian as the male lead, Ju Dou, garnered as much critical acclaim as had Red Sorghum, and became China's first film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[15]

1990s[link]

After the success of Ju Dou, Zhang began work on Raise the Red Lantern. Based on Su Tong's novel Wives and Concubines, the film depicted the realities of life in a wealthy family compound during the 1920s. Gong Li was again featured in the lead role, her fourth collaboration with Zhang as director.

Raise the Red Lantern received almost unanimous international acclaim. Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times noted its "voluptuous physical beauty" and sumptuous use of colours.^[16] Gong Li's acting was also praised as starkly contrasting with the roles she played in Zhang's earlier films. Raise the Red Lantern was nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 1992 Academy Awards, becoming the second Chinese film to earn this distinction (after Zhang's Ju Dou). It eventually lost out to Gabriele Salvatores's Mediterraneo.

Zhang's next directorial work, The Story of Qiu Ju, in 1992, once again starring Gong Li in the lead role. The film, which tells the tale of a peasant woman seeking justice for her husband after he was beaten by a village official, was a hit at film festivals and won the Golden Lion award at the 1992 Venice Film Festival.^[17]

Next, Zhang directed To Live, an epic film based on the novel by Yu Hua of the same name. To Live highlighted the resilience of the ordinary Chinese people, personified by its two main characters, amidst three generations of upheavals throughout Chinese politics of the 20th century. It was banned in China, but released at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize, as well as earning a Best Actor prize for Ge You.^[18][19] To Live was banned in China by the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, due to its critical portrayal of various policies and campaigns of the Communist government.^[20]

Shanghai Triad followed in 1995, featuring Gong Li in her seventh film under Zhang's direction. The two had developed a romantic as well as a professional relationship, but this would end during production of Shanghai Triad.^[21] Zhang and Gong would not work together again until 2006's Curse of the Golden Flower.

1997 saw the release of Keep Cool, a black comedy film about life in modern China. Keep Cool marked only the second time Zhang had set a film in the modern era, after The Story of Qiu Ju.

As in The Story of Qiu Ju, Zhang returned to the neorealist habit of employing non-professional actors and location shooting for Not One Less in 1999^[22][23][24] which won him his second Golden Lion prize in Venice.^[25]

Shot immediately after Not One Less, Zhang's 1999 film The Road Home featured a new leading lady in the form of the young actress Zhang Ziyi, in her film debut. The film is based on a simple throw-back narrative centering on a love story between the narrator's parents.

2000-present[link]

Happy Times, a relatively minor film by Zhang, was based loosely on the short story, Shifu: You'll Do Anything for a Laugh, by Mo Yan. Starring popular Chinese actor Zhao Benshan and actress Dong Jie, it was an official selection for the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002.

Zhang's next major project was the ambitious wuxia drama Hero, released in China in 2002. With an impressive lineup of Asian stars, including Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Donnie Yen, Hero told a fictional tale about Ying Zheng, the King of the State of Qin (later to become the first Emperor of China), and his would-be assassins. The film was released in North America in 2004, two years after its Chinese release, by American distributor Miramax Films, and became a huge international hit. Hero was one of the few foreign-language films to debut at number 1 at the U.S. box office,^[26] and was one of the nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2003 Academy Awards.

Zhang followed up the huge success of Hero with another martial arts epic, House of Flying Daggers, in 2004.^[27] Set in the Tang Dynasty, it starred Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro as characters caught in a dangerous love triangle. House of Flying Daggers received acclaim from critics, who noted the use of colour that harked back to some of Zhang's earlier works.^[28]

Released in China in 2005, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles was a return to the more low-key drama that characterized much of Zhang's middle period pieces. The film stars Japanese actor Ken Takakura, as a father who wishes to repair relations with his alienated son, and is eventually led by circumstance to set out on a journey to China. Zhang had been an admirer of Takakura for over thirty years.^[29]

2006's Curse of the Golden Flower, saw him reunited with leading actress Gong Li. Taiwanese singer Jay Chou and Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat also starred in the period epic based on a play by Cao Yu.^[30]

Zhang's recent films, and his involvement with the 2008 Olympic ceremonies, have not been without controversy. Some critics claim that his recent works, contrary to his earlier films, have received approval from the Chinese government. However, in interviews, Zhang has said that he is not interested in politics, and that it was an honour for him to direct the Olympic ceremonies because it was "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."^[31]

On May 24, 2010, Zhang was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree by Yale University, and was described as "a genius with camera and choreography."^[32]

There are high expectations for Zhang's 2011 The Flowers of War as it is his most expensive film to date, budgeting for $90.2 million.^[33]

Stage direction[link]

Starting in the 1990s, Zhang Yimou has been directing stage productions in parallel with his film career.

In 1998, he directed an acclaimed version of Puccini's opera Turandot, firstly in Florence and then later at the Forbidden City, Beijing, with Zubin Mehta conducting.^[34] He reprised his version of Turandot in October 2009, at the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, and plans to tour with the production in Europe, Asia and Australia in 2010.

In 2001, Zhang adapted his 1991 film Raise the Red Lantern for the stage, directing a ballet version.^[35]

Zhang has co-directed a number of outdoor folk musicals under the title Impression. These include Impression, Liu Sanjie, which opened in August 2003 at the Li River, Guangxi province;^[36] Impression Lijiang, in June 2006 at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, Yunnan province; Impression West Lake, in late 2007 at the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province; Impression Hainan in late 2009, set in Hainan Island; and Impression Dahongpao set on Mount Wuyi, in Fujian province. All five performances were co-directed by Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue.

Zhang also led the production of Tan Dun's opera, The First Emperor, which had its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera on 21 December 2006.^[37]

2008 Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies[link]

Zhang Yimou was chosen to direct the Beijing portion of the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, alongside co-director and choreographer Zhang Jigang.^[38]

Zhang was a runner-up for the Time Magazine Person of the Year award in 2008. Steven Spielberg, who withdrew as an adviser to the Olympic ceremonies to pressure China into helping with the conflict in Darfur, described Zhang's works in the Olympic ceremonies in Time magazine, saying "At the heart of Zhang's Olympic ceremonies was the idea that the conflict of man foretells the desire for inner peace. This theme is one he's explored and perfected in his films, whether they are about the lives of humble peasants or exalted royalty. This year he captured this prevalent theme of harmony and peace, which is the spirit of the Olympic Games. In one evening of visual and emotional splendor, he educated, enlightened, and entertained us all."^[39]

Filmography[link]

As director[link]

As cinematographer[link]

As actor[link]

See also[link]

	China portal
	Biography portal
	Film portal

• Cinema of China
• Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
• Zhang Jigang

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Gateward, Frances (editor): Zhang Yimou: Interviews Conversations with Filmmakers Series, University Press of Mississippi, 2001. ISBN 1-57806-262-4.
• Colamartino, Fabrizio & Marco Dalla Gassa : "Il cinema di Zhang Yimou" Le Mani, 2003, ISBN 978-88-8012-244-9. (Italian)

External links[link]

• Zhang Yimou at the Internet Movie Database
• Zhang Yimou at AllRovi
• Zhang Yimou at Senses of Cinema's Great Directors Critical Database
• Zhang Yimou at the Hong Kong Movie Database
• Works by or about Zhang Yimou in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Zhang Yimou collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Zhang Yimou at the Notable Names Database

Interviews and articles

• Text of interview with Zhang Yimou, 2002
• Zhang Yimou's Qin Shi Huangdi Complex - Cui Weiping, 2007
• Zhang Yimou's Interview on the Southern Weekend on August 14, 2008.
• The Minimal and the Exotic: The Contrasting Worlds of Zhang Yimou podcast of a lecture by Prof. John Orr, University of Edinburgh
• Music from the Films of Zhang Yimou
• Youtube: NYTimes.com - Behind the Scenes: Zhang Yimou
• Zhang Yimou for Jean Paul Gaultier

v t e The Fifth Generation Beijing Film Academy: Class of 1982 Chen Kaige (director) Gu Changwei (cinematographer/director) He Qun (art director/director) Hou Yong (cinematographer/director) Hu Mei (director) Li Shaohong (director) Liu Miaomiao (director) Lü Yue (cinematographer/director) Ning Ying (director) Peng Xiaolian (director) Tian Zhuangzhuang (director) Wu Ziniu (director) Xia Gang (director) Xie Xiaojing (director) Zhang Jianya (director) Zhang Junzhao (director) Zhang Yimou (cinematographer/director) Zhao Fei (cinematographer) Associated Figures He Ping (director) Huang Jianxin (director) Sun Zhou (director) Zhang Zeming (director) Zhou Xiaowen (director) Wu Tianming (producer) Major Works Our Corner (1980) One and Eight (1983) Yellow Earth (1984) The Horse Thief (1985) The Black Cannon Incident (1985) Red Sorghum (1987) Evening Bell (1988) Ju Dou (1990) Raise the Red Lantern (1991) Farewell My Concubine (1993) The Blue Kite (1993) Ermo (1994)

Isao Matsuoka (松岡功 Matsuoka Isao, born December 18, 1934), Chairman, Toho Co., Ltd..

A graduate of the prestigious Konan University, Matsuoka serves as Chairman of the Toho Co., Ltd., a position he has held for 12 years since his appointment in 1995. He had previously served as President and recently celebrated his 50th year with the company.

Recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by ShoWest, Matsuoka is credited with helping establish Toho as the preeminent film production, distribution and exhibition company in Japan with his revolutionary and innovative reforms.

Mr Matsuoka was awarded the FIAPF Award for outstanding achievement in film at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Established in 1932, Toho is known internationally for its Godzilla series and the Akira Kurosawa classics such as Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Kagemusha.

His son, Shuzo Matsuoka is a former professional tennis player.

References[link]

• Toho Toho Wiki
• Toho Co. Toho official webpage (in Japanese)
• Hollywood Reporter Interview with Matsuoka in the The Hollywood Reporter
• ShoWest press release on Matsuoka's Lifetime Achievement Award.