- 赌博app
- GOLDEN GOBLET
AWARDS - FILM
PANORAMA - FORUM
- MARKET
- NEWS
- NOTICES
- REGISTRATION
SUBMISSION - 中
- /
- EN
The Animation section of Golden Goblet Awards of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (赌博app) has announced five finalists previously: DOLPHIN BOY, FOUR SOULS OF COYOTE, MASTER ZHONG, GONTA: THE STORY OF THE TWO-NAMED DOG IN THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER and THE INSEPARABLES, which manifest the diversified creative techniques and fruitful achievements of the global animation industry. On the morning of June 17, creators of finalists DOLPHIN BOY, FOUR SOULS OF COYOTE, MASTER ZHONG, and GONTA: THE STORY OF THE TWO-NAMED DOG IN THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER attended a meeting on the selection of genres, the expression techniques and the creation themes of animations.
Unearth treasures of myths all over the world
The mythical stories from all over the world are of great literary value, which not only distill the wisdom of various nations, but also show the cultural identity of each of them, offering a constant source of inspiration for film creators. DOLPHIN BOY is the debut animated feature film written and directed by Iranian director Mohammad Kheyrandish, which tells a fascinating journey of a boy to find his mother in the underwater world. According to the director, the film draws aspiration from the Persian traditional mythology and combines the ancient myth with the modern story to convey the theme of love and peace. “In Persian mythology there is a goddess who defends the sea, the name of the boy’s mother is the same as the name of the goddess of the sea, and she teaches her kid to defend the sea in the film.”
In recent years, the production quality of domestic animated films has been significantly improved, and a bunch of mythological films both acclaimed and well marketed have emerged, such as NEZHA, WHITE SNAKE, and LEGEND OF DEIFICATION. The shortlisted animated film MASTER ZHONG, co-directed by two emerging directors Wang Yuxi and Huang Shanchuan, tells the story of Zhong Kui, who sets out on a tricky journey of demon hunting to save the world. As for why to set Zhong Kui, a mythological character, at the core of the story, director Wang Yuxi believes that it is aimed to fill the “market gap” to a certain extent. “We all know who Zhong Kui is, but in the field of animation, no one has ever made a work about him. In fact, this character represents many traditional Chinese cultural values, such as loyalty and benevolence. Folklore has it that Zhong Kui is the god who protects the family, bestows blessings and answers all needs, but how did this legend actually arise? Many people may have no idea. And this story will help develop an ampler perception of this god among the audience.” Director Huang Shanchuan said that the most distinctive shot of MASTER ZHONG is to show a piece of memory through embroidery, which is a first-ever attempt in animation. It was challenging, but the final result and feedback was quite satisfactory.”
Based on Native American stories, FOUR SOULS OF COYOTE reminds humans to cherish nature and protect the ecological environment. “Native American stories are actually rarely told, and we want to share the tribal legends with more people.” Producer Reka Temple introduced, “The film is not only about people and animals, but also about their ancestors, to show their sense of social responsibility and commitment.”
Convey the courage for life through real-world issues
At the meet and greet, a grey-haired old man received much attention. He is Akio Nishizawa, the director of the Japanese shortlisted animated feature film, GONTA: THE STORY OF THE TWO-NAMED DOG IN THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER. The 81-year-old director, who started his career in the animation industry at the age of 60, has produced previously the award-winning animated film NITABOH: TSUGARU SHAMISEN SHISO GAIBUN. GONTA: THE STORY OF THE TWO-NAMED DOG IN THE FUKUSHIMA DISASTER, which is nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards in the animation category, is set against the backdrop of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tells the heartwarming story between a dog left behind in the disaster area after the earthquake and its owner’s family as well as rescue volunteers.
It has been the case that for a long time, most Japanese animated films are based on manga adaptations, with some others themed on universe or war, but director Akio Nishizawa prefers to tell stories that happen in real life. “Earthquakes and tsunamis are natural phenomena and are inevitable. However, in light of the fact that this dog is separated from its owner due to human negligence, and I want to portray our way of life, courage, and friendship in this story, to help everyone build up inner strength.”
DOLPHIN BOY also explores the theme of environmental protection, a social issue that has aroused great concern all over the world. Director Mohammad hopes to envision the beauty that human beings expect through the blue ocean: “The world we live in is very beautiful, but because of pollution and man-made destruction, the survival of the ocean and human beings is threatened. So, the main character in the film works hard to defend the ocean world and the world we live in together with his companions.”
A more wonderful world for kids
The Animation section of Golden Goblet Awards has been sparing no effort to discover and recommend outstanding animated films of different styles, genres and techniques around the world, to fully demonstrate the wild imagination and rich creativity in them, and show a broader world through the perspective of children.
“DOLPHIN BOY is made specially for children, and children are the most important audience for me.” Director Mohammad hopes that through the film, children can find a more wonderful world, and adults can rekindle their memories of childhood, because inside every adult is the heart of a child.” “Children nowadays can understand real emotions, and I hope they can feel pain and sorrow, joy and happiness and grow up with sound characters accompanied by animations.”
Producer Temple of FOUR SOULS OF COYOTE believes that animations can go beyond age as well as geographical boundaries, “Animations can break through even more boundaries, and we can also tell these stories through the aid of technology.” Humans beings are not perfect, so do characters in animations. “In the face of these imperfections, we have to learn to tolerate and reconcile, and this is the core idea of this work.”