The World Champion Final of the Sport Movies and TV 2023 – 40th Milano International FICTS Fest concluded on 11 November 2023, local time in Milan, Italy. During the event's awards ceremony, Beijing 2022 and Me and My Winter Games, two Chinese films selected and submitted by the Beijing International Sports Film Week, were granted the "Guirlande d'Honneur" Award in the "Olympic and Paralympic Spirit" Section and the "Movies" Section, respectively.

Beijing 2022 receives the "Guirlande d'Honneur" Award

Me and My Winter Games receives the "Guirlande d'Honneur" Award

Five Chinese films won the "Mention d'Honneur" Award, including Beneath the Surface (of Ice) ("Olympic and Paralympic Spirit" Section), Ping Pong: The Triumph ("Movies" Section), Crazy Chinese Country Football ("Movies & TV Football - Short" Section), One Fan Wants to See Himself Running ("Fast Sport Stories" Section), and Twinkling Eyes on the Ice ("Sport, Mountains and Olympism – Snow & Ice Sports" Section). This year sees the most films submitted by the Beijing International Sports Film Week take home the awards.

The Milano International FICTS Fest was founded in 1982 by the Federation International Cinema Television Sportifs (FICTS), which is committed to promoting the sports development and spreading the Olympic values through movies and TV and is the one of its kind recognised by the IOC. The festival has played a significant role in promoting the development of sports film and television culture worldwide. Over the years, its global significance has continued to grow, with an increasing number of participating countries and submitted entries, making it one of the most internationally renowned sports film festivals. This year's event has attracted participation from more than 120 countries and regions, with over 1,000 entries from around the world competing in the World Final of 20 Festivals in 19 regions. A total of eight winners were assigned the "Guirlande d'Honneur" Award.

Awards ceremony of the Sport Movies and TV 2023  

Awards ceremony of the Sport Movies and TV 2023

To better share the stories of the sports development in China, this year, Gao Yunchao, Deputy Director of BODA, led a delegation to Milan to attend the World Champion Final. During the event, they organised a meet-and-greet with the audience for the film Me and My Winter Games and presented a screening of Beijing 2022, the official film of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. These activities received a warm welcome from the local audience, especially the youth. Additionally, a thematic exhibition titled Dual Olympic City was held, which consisted of three parts: Beijing International Sports Film Week, A Dynamic Olympic City and Beijing 2022 Together for a Shared Future. Using excellent movie-themed posters from the 19th Beijing International Sports Film Week, the exhibition showcased the exciting stories of Chinese sports cinema.

At the thematic exhibition

As a festival of the Sport Movies & TV – Milano International FICTS Fest, the Beijing International Sports Film Week aims to promote the creation of and communication on Chinese sports films and TV productions, while providing opportunities for outstanding works to be shortlisted at the World Champion Final of the Sport Movies and TV – Milano International FICTS Fest. Over the years, the Beijing International Sports Film Week has carried out a variety of sports culture activities such as calls for entries, screening of sports films, forums and salons, the retrospective on the Beijing International Sports Film Week, and the "Sports Film+ " initiative. A dedicated fund supporting sports films was set up. These efforts have drawn high attention from society. Themed "The Dream of Summer and Winter Olympics in Films", the 19th Beijing International Sports Film Week in 2023 received a total of 222 sports audiovisual works. Based on the practice of the World Championship Final, there were eight Sections: Student Works; Sports, Mountain Sports and Olympic Winter Sports; Short Films; Film and TV Football; Sports and Society; Feature Films; Documentaries; and The Olympic Spirit. After the preliminary review and final review, 16 shortlisted works were submitted to the World Champion Final of the Sport Movies and TV 2023 – 40th Milano International FICTS Fest.

The 19th Beijing International Sports Film Week

The Beijing International Sports Film Week is an international sports film and TV event established in 2005 in preparation for the Olympic Games Beijing 2008. After the end of the Games, it has been hosted by the BODA and become an important component of the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival. Since 2009, the Beijing International Sports Film Week has become one of the festivals of the World Champion Final. As well as bringing in international sports films and TV productions, the Beijing International Sports Film Week also works actively to promote Chinese sports film and TV culture around the world, playing a significant role in helping Chinese sports film and TV culture go global. As of this year, the Beijing International Sports Film Week has been held 19 times and submitted nearly 200 shortlisted entries to the World Champion Final. Among them, 69 works have received awards in different Sections, and 32 of them have received the "Guirlande d'Honneur" Award.