The second installment of "Movie Fans Talk" at the inaugural Shanghai Movie Fans Festival took place at Cathay Theatre on June 7, part of a series of salons delving into the intricate connections between cinema and urban life.

Attendees were invited to discuss their long-standing bond with the Shanghai International Film Festival. Among them was Qian Xiaokun, the dubbing director responsible for the Shanghai dialect version of the film B for Busy.

Qian fondly reminisced about his first encounter with SIFF in 1997, when he saw the Hungarian film The Long Twilight at the Grand Cinema. In an era before subtitles, live translators narrated the plot beside the screen. The 50-minute avant-garde film left an indelible mark on him.

Another participant revealed that she watches 30 to 40 films annually, including midnight showings of horror films at the Grand Cinema. "I recall shivering through those screenings, a mix of terror and thrill," she chuckled heartily. She proudly shared her stash of tickets for various screenings at different venues for the upcoming film festival.

Renowned SIFF programmer Wang Jiayan, affectionately known as "Four-Eyed Wang", elicited cheers as he scrutinized attendees' ticket stubs. With unparalleled insight into the festival's film lineup, Wang took note of a movie buff clutching a ticket for The Music Box by the late director Chen Yifei. Wang disclosed that he specifically scheduled this film to honor the director at the same theater where it made its Shanghai debut.

Wang further disclosed that he has made adjustments to ensure a minimum one-hour gap between successive film screenings during the festival, emphasizing the importance of affording movie buffs ample time for venue transitions and meals.

Film producer Gu Xiaodong showered praise on local enthusiasts like DDseven, the nickname of a fan who gifted Japanese director Yoji Yamada a fan adorned with luminous LED greetings upon his arrival in Shanghai last year. Another attendee fondly recounted an evening when British pianist John Sweeney improvised music soundtracks for six silent films at the SFC New Heng Shan Cinema.

"After midnight, he stayed to autograph every ticket in the rain," the attendee recalled. "The theater lights remained on just for us."

Source: Jiefang Daily