Pingyao International Film Festival has tapped two of the most respected figures in global cinema to lead its signature competition juries for the upcoming edition. Acclaimed Hong Kong director Ann Hui will preside over the Fei Mu Awards jury, while Carlo Chatrian, the former artistic director of the Berlin International Film Festival, will chair the Rossellini Awards jury.
The announcement positions the festival’s dual competitions - one honoring best narrative feature and another celebrating emerging directors - under the stewardship of veterans with deep ties to both Asian and European film traditions. Hui, a towering presence in Chinese-language cinema for over four decades, brings a career that spans intimate social dramas, literary adaptations, and genre exercises, while Chatrian’s extensive curatorial résumé makes him a natural fit for a jury tasked with championing bold new voices.
Two Legends, Two Distinct Mandates
Hui’s appointment to the Fei Mu jury carries symbolic weight, as the award itself is named after the pioneering 1930s Chinese director whose work helped define the nation’s cinematic language. The connection between honoree and namesake is not lost on observers, given Hui’s own reputation for crafting deeply humanist stories that often center on women, memory, and the complex textures of everyday life. Her filmography includes landmark works such as “A Simple Life,” “The Way We Are,” and “Summer at Palazzo,” the latter winning the Golden Lion at Venice in 2020. That Venice triumph made her the first female director of Chinese descent to claim the festival’s top prize, cementing her international stature.
For Chatrian, the Rossellini jury chair marks another chapter in a career dedicated to discovering and elevating unconventional talent. His decade-long leadership of the Locarno Film Festival, followed by his tenure at the Berlinale from 2020 to 2024, established him as one of the most discerning eyes in independent cinema. The Rossellini Award itself pays homage to Roberto Rossellini, the Italian neorealist master whose influence still ripples through contemporary filmmaking. The jury under Chatrian will presumably look for works that embody the kind of formal daring and social consciousness Rossellini himself championed.
The pairing of Hui and Chatrian reflects Pingyao’s ambition to bridge established auteurs with fresh talent, a goal that has defined the festival since its inception. Held in the ancient walled city of Pingyao in Shanxi Province, the event has carved out a niche as a mid-autumn gathering that mixes retrospectives, industry events, and a competitive slate weighted toward first and second features from Asia and beyond.
A Festival Known for Discovery
Pingyao’s programming philosophy, heavily influenced by its founder, celebrated Chinese director Jia Zhangke, has always leaned toward the discovery of unknown quantities rather than the celebration of already-feted works. The Fei Mu and Rossellini competitions, in particular, have historically served as platforms for directors whose films might otherwise struggle to find international attention. Past juries have included figures like Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof and Chinese actress Zhao Tao, underscoring the festival’s preference for working artists over purely academic or critical voices.
With Hui and Chatrian steering the two juries, this year’s selections are likely to skew toward films with strong authorial signatures. Hui has often spoken about her preference for scripts rooted in real social conditions, while Chatrian’s track record at Locarno and Berlin suggests an openness to formally experimental work that resists easy categorization. The overlap between their sensibilities could mean a competitive slate that rewards both narrative depth and stylistic innovation.
The festival has yet to announce the full roster of jury members or the films in competition for its 2026 edition, which typically unfolds in October. Organizers have said only that the event will maintain its focus on “cinema that surprises,” a phrase that leaves ample room for interpretation.
A Homecoming of Sorts
For Hui, the Pingyao role also functions as a kind of homecoming to the mainland festival circuit, where she has been a recurring guest over the years. Her recent work has increasingly engaged with cross-strait and cross-generational themes, making a Chinese festival platform a fitting venue for her curatorial leadership. Meanwhile, Chatrian’s presence signals a continued internationalization of Pingyao’s jury pool, a trend that has accelerated since the festival resumed full-scale operations following pandemic-related disruptions.
Neither Hui nor Chatrian has publicly commented on their appointments beyond the official announcement, and the festival has not disclosed how many films each jury will evaluate. But the choice of two figures who have spent decades championing difficult, personal cinema suggests that this year’s awards could carry a more pronounced auteurist stamp than previous editions.
The 2026 Pingyao International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Oct. 11 to Oct. 18, with the full program expected to be unveiled in late September. For now, the announcement of the two jury presidents gives early indication that the festival intends to honor its historical namesakes with rigor rather than nostalgia.
Source: Variety