On the evening of December 6, the opening ceremony of the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) was grandly held at the Olympic Square on Phoenix Island, Sanya. Liu Xiaoming, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Party Leading Group and Governor of Hainan Provincial People's Government, as well as Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival, delivered a speech and announced the official opening of the festival. Fan Yun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Media Group (CMG) and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival, also gave a speech at the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony gala was hosted by CCTV presenters Nigmat Rakhman, Ma Fanshu, Zhu Lianan, and Hainan TV presenter Wang Si.

The French director and Chairman of the Jury for this year’s “Golden Coconut Awards” Luc Besson attended the ceremony along with a distinguished panel from home and abroad. Including Italian film cinematographer Paolo Carnera, French director Olivier Megaton, Chinese film and theater actress Xu Fan, Chinese actors Wang Jingchun and Zhang Yi, Argentine film director and producer Laura Citarella; Chinese film director Ju Anqi, Chinese-Canadian director Yung Chang, Portuguese documentary film festival artistic director Miguel Ribeiro; Chinese film director Li Ruijun, Chinese screenwriter Bao Jingjing, and Italian director Margherita Giusti (listed in each category by age). Luc Besson praised Sanya, “I grew up by the sea and have a deep connection for the ocean. Coming to Hainan, I find myself truly loving this place. 

Hosts Nigmat and Ma Fanshu recreated the classic headphone scene from the film La Boum (Ready for Love), while French actress Sophie Marceau made a stunning appearance in a red dress, greeting the audience in Chinese.

Chinese director Zhang Yimou attended the opening ceremony as a special guest, where Sophie Marceau presented him with the Hainan Island International Film Festival “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Holding the trophy, he expressed his heartfelt gratitude: “The beautiful and vast sea of Sanya serves as a grand stage for fostering communication and exchange among people from all over the world. Film is our shared dream, and the term ‘lifetime’ herein does not signify an end but marks a new beginning.”

With stars including Dai Xiangyu, Geng Le, Guo Jinglin, He Hongshan, Liu Haocun, Sun Yi, Yuan Shanshan, and Zhang Huiwen (listed in alphabetical order) jointly unveiling the ceremony, film clips from the 32 films shortlisted for this year’s “Golden Coconut Award” competition section flashed across the screen, highlighting their quest for this prestigious honor.

During the musical performance, Hainan-born singer Su Yunying and young actor Niu Junfeng opened the gala with a performance of Jiu Jiu Bu Jian Jiu Jiu Jian (Long Time No See, See You Again), a song rich in Hainanese characteristics, showing the hospitality and cultural uniqueness of the Island. Zheng Yunlong, Alan, and the The Li and Miao Ethnic Children's Chorus of Wuzhishan performed the musical Qian Li Gong Chan Juan (Sharing the Moonlight Despite Thousand Miles), connecting a century of Chinese and international film history through music and visuals. Wu Bixia and Zhang Haotian captivated the audience with their rendition of The Diva Dance, the high-pitched interlude from Luc Besson’s film Le Cinquième Élément (The Fifth Element). With the cheerful melody of Qing Dao Tian Ya Hai Jiao Lai (Please Come to the Ends of the Earth) ringing out, Lai Meiyun and Wang Qiang created a joyous gathering on the stage.

The gala also welcomed a special guest, Ms. Marie-Hélène Le Reiser, the great-granddaughter of A Trip to the Moon director Georges Méliès. She received a frame as a gift which made from a lunar image captured by the Chang’e 6 probe. She was very excited and expressed her deep appreciation for the gift, saying that she would place it on the nightstand in her room.

The opening ceremony of the HIIFF concluded successfully amidst applause and cheers, but the excitement of the films continues. In the coming days, numerous outstanding films will be screened, and filmmakers from around the globe will engage in in-depth exchanges through forums, master classes, and post-screening talks. They will contribute to the flourishing development of cinematic arts together. Let us look forward to more extraordinary moments brought by this grand celebration of film!