SANYA, December 12. /TASS/. Iranian director Majid Majidi attended the Third Hainan International Film Festival in the Chinese province of Hainan, and praised the work of its organizers. The author of films that have repeatedly participated in international film festivals and received prestigious awards, said this in an interview with China Central Television.
"I loved the opening ceremony. From the moment I arrived [in the Hainan province], I had time to see some films. This is a young and promising film festival, and the organizers have done a good job," said Majid Majidi.
Moreover, the film director said that he intends to shoot his next film in China. The story will unfold around a little girl during the coronavirus outbreak in China. After the Hainan Film Festival, he will travel to southern Yunnan and then eastern Zhejiang to search for a suitable filming location.
"Children of Heaven" (1997) by Majid Majidi became the first Iranian film to be nominated for an Oscar. Next year, his new film "Sun Children" (2020) will compete for the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1997, 1999 and 2001, the films by the Iranian director became laureates of the Grand Prix of the Americas at the Montreal International Film Festival.
The Third Hainan International Film Festival takes place on Hainan on December 5-12. During the week, 189 films from 60 countries will be shown here, the Chinese viewers will see 97 of those for the first time, this is a record number of new films at the Hainan Film Festival. Film screenings will be held in several Hainan cities. Some of the films will be shown online. Some of the movies will be shown right on the picturesque beaches of this tropical island. In addition to film screenings, special forums, master classes, and events aimed at promoting films and attracting investment in film projects will be held on the island as well.
The Hainan Island International Film Festival is recognized as one of the four main film screenings held in China. It was first held in December 2018 in Sanya and has been held there regularly since. It was attended by such world famous actors and directors as Jackie Chan, Aamir Khan, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp, Nuri Bilge Ceylan and others.