Shortlists of the 21st Beijing International Sports Film Week came out

Source：BODA
Time：2025-07-25

On 25 July, the Shortlists Announcement Ceremony of the 21st Beijing International Sports Film Week, themed “Olympic Sports Films,” was held at the Beijing Olympic Tower. Han Zirong, Executive Vice President of the Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA), and Jiang Xiaoyu, Chairman of the Jury of the Beijing International Sports Film Week, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Prof. Franco Ascani, Member of the IOC Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission and President of Fédération Internationale Cinéma Télévision Sportifs (FICTS), delivered remarks via video link. Present at the opening ceremony were Chang Lin, Level-II Councillor of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism; Li Huajun, Level-II Councillor of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports; Xia Rihong, Deputy Secretary-General of BODA and Deputy Director-General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre; Wang Xiangping, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Disabled Persons’ Federation; and Ma Hong, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Beijing Radio and Television Station. They were joined by Dong Jian, Secretary of the Party Affairs Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area; Zhu Qinxiao, Deputy General Manager of China Central Newsreel & Documentary; and Wei Dengfan, Secretary General of the Beijing Olympic City Development Foundation.

(A group photo at the event)

In her speech, Han Zirong stated that the Beijing International Sports Film Week is committed to promoting the spirit of the Summer Olympics Beijing 2008 and the spirit of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and is at the forefront of the international sports film stage, blazing a trail for bringing Chinese sports films and TV productions to the world. Going forward, the Beijing International Sports Film Week will fully leverage comprehensive functions of sports in building a modern socialist country in all respects, increase efforts to enrich the cultural life of the general public and promote the sustainable development of the Olympic legacy, tell Chinese sports stories well, strengthen cultural exchanges in sports between China and the world, and contribute to the endeavour to build China into a country strong in sports.

(Han Zirong delivers a speech)

Prof. Franco Ascani extended his greetings via video. On behalf of the 130 member states of FICTS, he extended congratulations on the convening of the Beijing International Sports Film Week, and expressed his anticipation for the Chinese-selected works to be showcased at the Milano International FICTS Fest global finals in October. The president said that he looked to deepen cooperation with Chinese partners during the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, hoping that Chinese cinematic talent will continue to showcase the spirit of Chinese sports on the world stage and tell compelling sports stories from China.

(Prof. Franco Ascani delivers remarks)

The event kicked off with Olympic Anthem performed by the Beijing Olympic Games Community Choir. This Greek chorus evoked resonance of the Olympic spirit among the audiences.

(Song performance by Beijing Olympic Games Community Choir)

The shortlists in different categories and “The Media’s Choice” were announced one after another. Dong Jian, Zhang Zhihua, Deputy Director of the Sports, Health and Art Education Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and Wu Guanping, professor, doctoral supervisor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Beijing Film Academy, presented awards to the winners in the “Student Works” category – Bucket Ride, Run towards the Faint Light in Darkness, the Free Female Warrior and Olympic Memories in Pin Exchanges.

(Award ceremony for outstanding works in the student works category)

Li Huajun and Wang Yong, senior journalist of Xinhua News Agency and Vice President of the Beijing Branch Labour Union, presented the award for “The Media’s Choice,” which went to Running the Race : 100-year Celebration of Olympic Champion Eric Liddell.

(Awards ceremony: “The Media’s Choice”)

Mao Hongwei, Level III Division Rank Official at the Communications Management Office of the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, and Chen Liang, Director of the Film and Television Production Centre of Qingdao Film Academy, presented awards to the shortlists in the “TV and New Media” category – Chinese mother of two on the Ironman world stage FAST TRACK TO CHAMPIONSHIP and Badges of Growth.

(Awards ceremony: shortlists in the “TV and New Media” category)

Wang Zhu, former Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and member of the Beijing Film Censorship Committee, and Dong Liya, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Shi-Ao Forest Park Development and Operation Co., Ltd., presented awards to the shortlists in the “Winter Sports” category – Thirty Years of Snow Passion in China and Burning Ice.

(Awards ceremony: shortlists in the “Winter Sports” category)

Wang Xiangping, Yu Nan, Manager of the Culture and Sports Industry Department of Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd., and Shan Wanli, research fellow at the China Film Art Research Centre, presented awards to the shortlists in the “Sport and Society/Sport and the Paralympic Movement” category – Zero Distance in Sports – The Skipper, Grandpas with Six Packs, and The Romance and Reality of the Paris Olympics.

(Awards ceremony: shortlists in the “Sport and Society/Sport and the Paralympic Movement” category)

Chang Lin and Zhao Dongming, former Party Secretary and Director of the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau and former Director of the Cultural Activity Department, Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), presented the award to the shortlist in the “Movies” category – One and Only.

(Awards ceremony: shortlist in the “Movies” category)

Ma Hong and director Gu Yun presented awards to the shortlists in the “Documentary” category – Aim High and Four Trails .

(Awards ceremony: shortlists in the “Documentary” category)

Zhu Qinxiao, Wei Dengfan and Yue Hongyan, member of the Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission of the Olympic Council of Asia and Director of the Sports and Culture Division of the Communications, Culture and Heritage Department of the Chinese Olympic Committee, presented awards to the shortlists in the “Olympic Games and Olympic Spirit” category – Ode to the Chinese Sports Spirit,Path to Glory， Running the Race : 100-year Celebration of Olympic Champion Eric Liddell, and Antelope of the Plateau – China's First Tibetan Olympic Champion Qieyang Shijie's Journey in Pursuit of Her Dream.

(Awards ceremony: shortlists in the “Olympic Games and Olympic Spirit” category)

The two films Hi, Asian Games-“Female” and Invisible Summit also had their moments on the day. They received the Guirlande d’Honneur Award of the 42nd Sport Movies and TV Milano International FICTS Fest. Jiang Xiaoyu presented the awards to the winners.

(Jiang Xiaoyu presents the Guirlande d’Honneur Award)

Sports serve as a universal language of humanity, and films have the power to evoke emotions. While the Shortlists Announcement Ceremony of the 21st Beijing International Sports Film Week has concluded, Olympic sports films continually bring people together and present themselves to the whole world, injecting strong impetus into the global dissemination of the Olympic spirit and the Chinese sporting spirit. The event also featured a display of posters of all outstanding entries that passed the preliminary review of the 21st Beijing International Sports Film Week, as well as those nominated and awarded the Guirlande d’Honneur Award of the 42nd Sport Movies and TV Milano International FICTS Fest. At the same time, the 20-year retrospective on the Beijing International Sports Film Week and the Poster Exhibition for Shortlists demonstrated the incessant power of sports films.

(Poster exhibition)

The Beijing International Sports Film Week is an international sports film event established in 2005 in preparation for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. The 21st Beijing International Sports Film Week is hosted by the Beijing International Film Festival Organising Committee, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing Olympic City Development Association. Since the call for entries opened, 211 valid entries have been received. After rigorous evaluation, 32 entries advanced to the final round. Ultimately, 18 outstanding works were announced at the awards ceremony on 25 July, with 10 of them being recommended to compete for the Guirlande d’Honneur Award of the 43rd Milano International FICTS Fest global finals in Milan, Italy, in October. A total of about 200 people attended the opening ceremony, including high-ranking officials and guests from the Zhangjiakou Olympic City Development Centre, the Beijing Olympic Museum, Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd., judges of the Beijing International Sports Film Week, and representatives of award-winning production teams, Olympic participants and media representatives.