On September 8, the Excellent Works Release & Screening Session for OGOC Staff of the 19^th Beijing International Sports Film Week were held at the New Colorful Clouds Cinema.  BODA vice president Jiang Xiaoyu attended and addressed the event, and FICTS president Franco B. Ascani sent a video message. Chen Jie, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports; Zhao Dongming, former director of the Beijing Radio and Television Bureau and former director of the Culture and Ceremonies Department of Beijing 2022; Wang Shuxian, director-general of the Beijing Olympic City Development Foundation; Chen Xiang, vice president of Beijing Radio & Television Station; Chi Jianxin, vice president of  Central Studio of News Reels Production; Feng Yi, vice president of China National Film Museum; Beijing Olympic City Development Center vice director Gao Yunchao; Guo Zhiguo, vice president of Beijing State-owned Assets Management Co., Ltd.; Wang Maoqiang, deputy general manager of Beijing performing arts group co., ltd. Wang Zhu, former deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, member of the Beijing Municipal Film and Television Censorship Committee, other senior officials of the member units of the Organizing Committee of Beijing International Sports Film Week; Sui Wenjing, gold medalist of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the full-grand-slam title holder. 

A group photo of attending guests

In his speech, Jiang Xiaoyu reviewed the history of Beijing International Sports Film Week and pointed out that since its launch, while actively introducing international sports film and TV works, the Festival has gradually become one of the important bridges between Chinese sports films and TV works and the outside world by showing the excellent Chinese sports film and television works to the international community, telling the Chinese sports stories well, and showing the good image of China as a sports power. Excellent sports films can not only provide a strong spiritual force rallying the Chinese people for national rejuvenation, but also serve as a window for the world to better understand Chinese sports and the country. In the future, Beijing International Sports Film Week will adhere to the purpose of “inheriting the Olympic spirit and promoting development,” focus on the inheritance of the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic legacy of Beijing, serve the high-quality development of the capital and the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, facilitate the creation and prosperity of China’s sports film and television industry, promote the sports and culture development in China, and contribute more to building China into a sports power.

Jiang Xiaoyu speaking

In his video message, Prof. Franco B. Ascani said that BODA and FICTS had a deep-rooted friendship.  Beijing International Sports Film Week is an important stage for the World FICTS Challenge, and has become an important platform to show the charm and professionalism of Chinese sports films to the world. This year’s Sports Film Week showed how sport could promote the cultural values and concepts of the Olympic Movement. On behalf of FICTS, he welcomed the attendees to the Sport Movies & TV 2023 in Milan, the world final, which will be held from November 7 to 11.

Franco B. Ascani speaking

At the event site, the works shortlisted for this year’s Sport Movies & TV were announced, and the certificates issued. In addition, the Media’s Choice Award was presented.  

Jiang Xiaoyu and Zhao Dongming pose for a photo with the production team representatives of Beijing 2022, Dancers in Wheelchairs and Run Blind Friends, all shortlisted for the Award for Olympic/Paralympic Spirit.

Gao Yunchao and Chi Jianxin pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of shortlisted documentaries Chinese Pair Skater Sui Wenjing - Beneath the Surface, Pursue, and Talk with Giants.

Chen Jie and Wang Zhu pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of the shortlisted movies Ping Pong: The Trump and Me and My Winter Olympics.

Chen Xiang and Shi Xuping pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of work of Sports and Society Unit Walking over the Ruins: A Sports Road for the Survivors of the Wenchuan Earthquake, and The Longest One Second, both shortlisted for the category of Sport & Society.

Wang Shuxian and Shan Wanli pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of Magic Seven and A Village Football Event, both shortlisted for the Movies & TV Football Award.

Wang Maoqiang and He Xinghui pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of A Fan Wants to See Himself Running and Beijing Thigh, shortlisted for the Fast Sports Stories Award.

Guo Zhiguo and Ren Chongrong pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of Twinkling Eyes on the Ice and The New Year’s Show, shortlisted for the Sports, Mountains and Olympics – Winter Sports Award.

Qin Jibin and Zhang Zhihuawei pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of My Second Hometown for Football, Like a Girl, Like a Lion shortlisted for the Student Works Award.

Feng Yi and Wang Yong pose for a group photo with the production team representatives of The Longest One Second, the winner of Media’s Choice Award.

On the same day, posters of the 46 works that passed the preliminary review were presented at the movie theater, further expanding the influence of sports culture, spreading the Olympic spirit and demonstrating the power of sports movies and television works.

The poster display

As this year marks the first anniversary of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 15^th of the 2008 Summer Olympics, the Sports Film Week organizing committee invited some Olympians, staff members and volunteers of the OCOGs, including Sui Wenjing, the figure skating champion of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Zhao Jingbing, a member of the construction team of the Bird’s Nest in 2008, Wang Lei, a volunteer of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. They took turns to go to the stage and share their unique and precious Olympic memories.

During an interview

Gao Yunchao, on behalf of the organizers, said that this year, the Beijing International Sports Film Week and the Beijing International Film Festival once again joined hands and furthered their partnership in various aspects, which would certainly help to build up the brand of Beijing International Sports Film Week and help Chinese sports film and television culture to enter the global market. In 2024, Beijing International Sports Film Week will turn 20 and will continue to carry out related activities around sports films, expand entry submission channels, and encourage the participation of colleges and universities. It will strengthen cooperation with Olympic cities around the world and FICTS, and continue to make efforts to promote Chinese culture overseas.

During an interview

According to the organizers, the Beijing International Sports Film Week was first launched in 2005 for international sports film and television exchange and display. From 2009 on, it has been organized by BODA, and become an important leg of the Sport Movies & TV co-hosted by the FICTS and the International Olympic Committee. In 2010, it became an important part of the Beijing Olympic City Sports & Culture Festival. Over the years, it has recommended nearly 180 outstanding works to participate in the Sport Movies & TV, of which 62 won awards in various categories. So far, it has staged non-for-profit screenings of more than 600 works, including nearly 300 overseas works from dozens of countries and regions in five continents.

A Date with Ice and Snow, an award-winning film of Sport Movies & TV

It is reported that this year’s Beijing International Sports Film Week, with the theme of “Dual Olympic Dreams in Images,” continued to work with the Beijing International Film Festival, and received 222 sports films and TV productions. Referring to the evaluation criteria of the Sport Movies & TV, it divided the submissions into eight categories: Student Works, Sports, Mountains and Olympics – Winter Sports, Fast Sports Stories, Movies & TV Football, Sport & Society, Movies, Documentary and Olympic/Paralympic Spirit. After preliminary and final evaluation by the professional judges, 18 excellent works stood out and will compete in the 2023 Sport Movies & TV in accordance with the Evaluation Rules for Works of Beijing International Sports Film Week and the Sport Movies & TV (Beijing Leg).

The event attracted about 300 participants, including Zhang Zhihua, Level IV Division Rank Official of the Sports, Health and Art Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Qin Jibin, deputy director of the Zhangjiakou Municipal Sports Bureau, and Zhang Shuo, deputy director of Zhangjiakou Olympic City Development Center, other representatives of the member units of the organizing committee, expert judges, and staff representatives of previous OCOGs.