Kampala International Media Arts Film Award Announces Winners, Two Chinese films successfully won international awards. Among them, Director Yang Hua's work "The Attire" won the "Best Short Film" award, and Director He Shaowei's work "Where the Lotus Blooms" won the "Best Music Film" award. The festival judges stated that the awards for "The Attire" and "Where the Lotus Blooms" not only demonstrate the exquisite level of Chinese film art, but also show the world the balance and wisdom of Eastern culture between traditional adherence and modern expression. Both films are selected and distributed globally by Sfilmmaker International Film Festival Awards Platform.  

As one of the most influential independent film festivals in Africa, Kampala International Media Arts Film Award aims to provide a international platform for filmmakers worldwide to showcase their works. The film festival provides a platform for global emerging filmmakers to showcase their works, industry reviews, and international distribution resource connections. Through competitive units covering diverse themes and professional award selections, outstanding works will receive authoritative certification and enhance their influence through international communication channels. As an annual industry benchmark event, this year's film festival will cover over 100,000 viewers through global live broadcast, showcasing the best works of the year and hosting creator forums and industry summits to explore the trends in independent filmmaking.

"The Attire": A Journey to Explore Dong Ethnic Culture

Directed by Yang Hua, the short film "The Attire" uses delicate visual language to tell the coming-of-age story of Dong ethnic girl Jiajia. Through the emotional interweaving of three generations, the film eloquently narrates intangible cultural heritage skills and contemporary youth cultural identity, being praised by judges as a poetic work that sews the soul of the nation with every stitch.

"The Attire" has previously won numerous international honors: including the Best Short Film at the 11th La Paz International Film Festival, four awards from the Chilean Southern Film Arts Academy (Best Inspiring Short Film, Cinematography, Costume Design, and Best Supporting Actress), and awards at the 2024 Athens International Experimental Film Festival and other film festivals. This award in Kampala once again confirms its profound value in cross-cultural communication.

Film Title: "The Attire" (The Attire)

Duration: 19 minutes 55 seconds

Total Adviser: Lai Rong

Advisers: Fu Jia, Li Wuping, Luo Quanfeng

Producer: Hu Ping

Executive producers: Yang Jian, Song Duanyang, Luo Hui, Jiang Jiling, Qiu Houlong, Zhu Wei

Producer/Director/Writer: Yang Hua

Cinematography: Ren Guangze

Sound Recording: Li Junshan

Editing: Ren Zimo, Yang Sixteen, Hengliang

Music: Wu Shengdan

Starring: Liang Xuelian, Wu Xinping

International Film Festival Exhibition Consultant: Sfilmmaker

International IMDb Certification: Sfilmmaker

Film Synopsis: According to the custom of the Dong ethnic group, when a girl reaches a certain age, she needs to prepare a set of Dong ethnic clothing hand-sewn by herself or a female relative to hold a coming-of-age ceremony. Therefore, accompanied by her parents, Jia Jia returns to the Sanbao Dong Village where her father was born and raised, and embarked on a journey to explore her roots in a state of innocence...

Director Introduction: Yang Hua, a native of Guizhou, China. Before 2019, he used words to express what he wanted to convey; from 2019 to 2024, he tried to help other directors express what they wanted to convey through words; in 2024, he began to use a camera to express what he wanted to convey... 

"The Whereabouts of the Lotus": A bodily poem that questions the spiritual dilemma

Experimental music short film "The Whereabouts of the Lotus" by director He Shaowei explores the spiritual dilemmas of modern people with avant-garde artistic techniques. The film discards traditional narratives and depicts the journey of seeking inner peace in the midst of anxiety and confusion through the abstract fusion of dance, light and shadow, and original music. Body movements, like the opening and closing of lotus flowers, metaphorically represent the cycle of dilemmas and breakthroughs; the collision of experimental electronic sound effects and traditional musical instruments constructs a striking spiritual landscape. The jury specially pointed out: this is an artistic declaration beyond language, using rhythms to strike directly at the common emotional abyss of humanity. "The Whereabouts of the Lotus" was previously nominated for Best Dance Short Film at the 10th Cannes Global Short Film Festival. 

Film Title: The Whereabouts of the Lotus

Producer: He Shaowei

Executive Producer: He Shaowei

Director: He Shaowei

Screenwriter: He Shaowei

Actor: Qin Xi

Cinematographer: He Shaowei

Art Director: Cui Jingyi

International Film Festival Exhibition Consultant: Sfilmmaker

International IMDb Certification: Sfilmmaker

Film Synopsis: When we are deeply trapped in anxiety and unrest, how can we calm our hearts? In times of adversity, how can we bravely face challenges? The movie is a bodily poem, outlining the emotional fluctuations of the heart with abstract rhythms.

Director Introduction: Director He Shaowei, male, a cross-disciplinary director, and a national-level director of the China Coal Mine Art Troupe. From 2019 to 2021, he studied film directing and production at the Beijing Film Academy, engaging in the creation of films, stage plays, and dance films. He was selected as an excellent dance director by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2020. His dance film work "Breathless" was shortlisted as one of the top ten works at the Second National Dance Image Exhibition; the dance film "I Am a Miner" won the Best Work Award at the 8th Asian Microfilm Festival. His short films "Wake Up with You," "White Mist," "Xiao Di," "Untouchable Lover," and "One Person's Street" have won more than 40 international film festival awards and nominations.

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Sfilmmaker—The official submission platform for global film festival registration, has now exclusively signed up with892 international film festivals for film submissions, direct face-to-face recommendations with the jury for evaluation cooperation, including official submission authorizations from severalA-level film festivals. It has collaborated with many well-known film institutions and universities in China, such as the Beijing Film Academy, the Communication University of China, Bilibili, Tencent Pictures, August First Film Studio, Shandong Film Studio, Sichuan Media College, Yunnan Film Group, Sichuan Emei Film Group, Guangdong TV, Hebei Film Studio, Hubei TV, Hebei Communication University, Hubei Film Studio, Hainan Normal University, China Agriculture Film and Television Center, Netease Cloud Music, and others. It has represented over2691 Chinese films to win awards at major film festivals including Cannes and Venice, the platform's official website: www.sfilmmaker.com

[Successful Cases of Sfilmmaker representing award-winning Chinese-language films]

• Peng Xiangjun directed the film "青苔"which was selected for Directors' Fortnight at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival and other awards.

• Zhang Jibin directed the film "美丽故事"which was pre-selected for the main competition at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and nominated for various awards such as the 2024 Dutch Oscars: Septimius Award for Best Asian Film.

• Xing Xiao directed the film "仲肯"which won Best Film at the Barcelona International Film Festival, Best Costume Design at the 2023 Nice International Film Festival, Best Foreign Language Film at the 2023 Rome International Film Festival, and other nominations and awards.

• Ding Zijun directed the film "里奇不眠夜"which received the Best Non-European Film award at the 19th European Independent Film Festival, Special Mention from the Jury at the New Delhi International Film Festival, Audience Choice Award at the 10th Barcelona Global International Film Festival, and was nominated for Best International Film at the Melbourne Image Universe Film Festival, among others.

• WangJiuliDirectorWorks"Graduate"won Outstanding Short Film at the 2024 New Delhi International Film Festival, Best Student Film at the 10th Barcelona Global International Film Festival, Nomination for Best International Short Film at Melbourne Cosmic Film Festival, Official Selection in the Short Film Competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, etc.

• YangJunwuDirectorWorks"AMedal"won the Grand Prize of the Beirut and Bridges International Film Festival Jury, Best Short Film Nomination at the 9th Lisbon International Film Awards, Short Film Competition Official Selection at the 21st Sorrento International Film Festival, Official Selection in the main competition at the 14th Italian Mediterranean Film Festival, Best Short Film Nomination at the 13th Serbia International Short Film Festival, Nomination for Best Short Film at the 2024 Dutch Oscars: Septimius Award, etc.

• ZhouLingyiDirectorWorks"Revenge" won Best Actress at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival, Best Film at the Asia Independent Film Festival, Best Actress at the Salt Lake City International Film Festival, Best Actress at the India New Delhi International Film Festival, Outstanding Film at the Barcelona Global International Film Festival, Best Short Film at the World Short Film Festival in Basel, Best Crime Short Film at the Five Continent International Film Festival, Best Female Director at the 7th Chilean Southern Film Art Academy Awards, Best Short Film at the Kampala International Media Arts Film Awards, Nomination for Best Short Film at the 18th European Independent Film Festival, etc., with a total of 27 nominations and awards.

  • The feature film "Scents Missing" directed by Daif won the Golden Ibex Award for Best Film/Best Screenplay at the 2019 South Africa International Film Festival, was nominated for Best Low-to-Medium Budget Story Film at the 33rd China Golden Rooster Awards, and was selected for the competition section of the 42nd Montreal International Film Festival for debut films.

  • The film "The Miraculous Cheer Squad" directed by Xu Chunlingreceived a special mention and award from the jury of the New Delhi International Film Festival, double nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the 2024 Cannes World Film Festival, selected for the main competition at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival, and nominated for Best Film at the 2023 Netherlands Oscars, among others.

  • The film "Light Clouds, Light Winds" directed by Kang Jiaxiangwas selected for the 18th Argentina Independent Film Festival, for the "Departing from Shanxi" section at the 7th Pingyao International Film Exhibition, at the Milan International Film Festival in Italy, the 2022 Cannes Mediterranean Film Festival and the Paris World Film Festival, among others.

  • The feature film "Drifting with the Wind" directed by Dan Zhenwangjia won Best Experimental Film at the 2023 Netherlands Oscars, Best Director Debut at the 34th China Golden Rooster Awards, the Global Premiere at the "Window on Asian Cinema" of the 25th Busan International Film Festival in Class B Film Festival, Best Film at the 10th La Paz International Film Festival, and was selected for the main competition at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival, among others.

• Directed by Zhao Yuan, the film "Thirty" has won the Outstanding Short Film Award at the 7th San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival, Audience Choice Award at the Barcelona Global International Film Festival ARFF, Best Short Film Nomination at the Las Vegas Asian Film Awards, Best Short Film Nomination at the 5th London Short Film Drama Festival, Best Short Film Nomination at the Prague Independent Film Festival, Official Selection at the Berlin Brave Film Festival, Best Foreign Language Short Film Director, Best Foreign Language Short Film Editing, Best Foreign Language Short Film, and Best Foreign Language Short Film Actor nominations at the Antwerp International Film Festival in Belgium.

• Directed by Zhang Haitao, the film "Salairel Girl" has won the Best Inspirational Film at the London Falcon International Film Festival, Best Actress Nomination at the 5th Ningbo International Microfilm Festival, Best Female Actor Nomination at the 5th Golden Elephant International Children's Film Festival, Outstanding Short Film at the Dutch New Vision International Film Festival, and Best Experimental Exploration Mention at the Netherlands International Film Festival.

  • GaoQiShengDaoYanZuoPin《YiJiangChunShui》Hu17th Asian Film Festival New Generation Best Picture Nomination, 15th First Youth Film Exhibition Best Drama Film Nomination, Best Actress Award, New York Winter International Film Award Best Picture Nomination, Best Foreign Language Film Leading Actor at the Nice International Film Festival, and two nominations for Best Foreign Language Film Editing, etc.

  • LiXuDaoYanZuoPin《BangWan》Hu36th China Golden Rooster Awards Best Medium and Small Cost Story Film and Best Cinematography Double Nomination, 2023 Nice International Film Festival Best Film Styling Award, Barcelona Globe International Film Festival Most Popular Audience Award, Chilean South Cone International Film Festival Main Competition Unit Best Story Film Award, etc.

  • LiuKaiQiDaoYanZuoPin《ZaoTangGuShou》Hu15th European Independent Film Festival Best Editing Award, Japan Shinjuku World Film Festival Best Short Film, Oscar Qualifying New Zealand Show Me Shorts Film Festival shortlisted, Ningbo International Micro Film Festival Best Creative Short Film and Support from Bodhi Film Industry Young Director Program, etc.