The Third Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) is scheduled to be held in Sanya, Hainan province from Dec 5 to 12, with a total of 4,376 films from 114 countries and regions having been submitted, almost double the total submissions from last year's edition.
The newly-added H!Future section, which focuses on film newcomers with a pioneering spirit from around the world, will also bring new highlights to the film festival. The section has received 125 films, of which 12 will be nominated for awards and included in the film festival screening list.
This year, HIIFF's Golden Coconut Awards will be divided into three categories and 10 awards, namely Best Picture, Best Director, Jury Award, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenwriter, Best Technical Award, Best Children's Film, Best Documentary Film, and Best Short Film.
In addition to the forums centering on boosting the film industry in the Hainan Free Trade Port and international film industry cooperation, highlights of this year's HIIFF will also include an outdoor beach movie screenings and an island-wide film carnival participated in by 15 cinemas across Hainan, in which 200 films from more than 60 countries will be screened.
The festival will also integrate offline and online events to ensure the health and safety of participants, while meeting the demands of the public for movies and entertainment.
Attendees enjoy a movie screening on the beach in Sanya during the 2019 Hainan Island International Film Festival. [Photo/hiiff.com.cn]