Jury for the Magnolia Awards share insight into film and TV
The jury of the 28th Shanghai TV Festival's Magnolia Awards meet with media on Wednesday.
The jury for the documentary and animation categories of the Magnolia Awards.
The jury for the drama category.
The jury for the 28th Shanghai TV Festival's Magnolia Awards shared their criteria on Wednesday.
On Friday, the Magnolia Awards will honor production in categories including Chinese TV drama, foreign TV series, foreign TV film, animation, documentary and variety show.
The jury panel for the animation category is chaired by Canadian animation director David Stephan, while the jury also includes Malaysian animation director and producer Spencer Ooi and Chinese animation director Jia Fou.
"Story is the key," Stephan said. "Story is my most important criterion, followed by the character, the setting, layout and other factors. The most important thing is that the content resonates with the audience."
Director Ooi also mentioned the importance of storytelling.
"For me, stories come from tradition, inspired by their ancestors," said Ooi. "Only by not forgetting our roots can we see the future."
Chinese animation director Jia talked about the prospects of Chinese animation. She believed that the potential for Chinese animation is very good, as the country has attached much importance to animation education.
The jury panel in the documentary category is chaired by Malaysian documentary filmmaker Poh Si Teng, and the panel also includes Chinese documentary curator He Suliu and German documentary producer Sabine Bubeck-Paaz.
Canadian animation director David Stephan chairs the panel of the animation category.
German documentary producer Sabine Bubeck-Paaz is on the jury for documentaries.
When it comes to the judging criteria for the documentaries, Teng said that the most important thing for a documentary is that it moves people, makes people feel a lot, and generates different opinions.
"Documentaries should focus on the state of survival of the people living at the bottom, especially those who are struggling on the edge of life," Chinese curator He said. "Documentaries have their own responsibilities, even if they focus on the surroundings, they still have to magnify the plight of human beings. Just focus on what's around you."
German documentary filmmaker Sabine Bubeck-Paaz said creativity is important in documentary filmmaking. She often spends time talking with the people involved in the documentaries, listening to their own perspectives and finding the right language to document their stories.
In the category of TV drama, Hu Zhifeng, a famous Chinese film and TV scholar, serves as the chairman of the jury panel.
The panel also includes Chinese actor Duan Yihong, Chinese cinematographer Mu Deyuan, Chinese director Sun Hao, Chinese actress Wang Luodan, Chinese scripwriter Wang Sanmao, Chinese film and TV commentary Zhao Tong, Spanish actress Mar Sodupe and South Korean producer Yoon JaeHyeok.
As judges of overseas dramas, Spanish actress Sodupe and South Korean producer Yoon both noted that they will select work that can touch the audience and resonate with them.
Chinese actress Wang Luodan is on the jury for Chinese dramas.
Spanish actress Mar Sodupe is on the jury for foreign dramas.
