The 26th SIFF EXPLORE section announced the 20 officially-selected recommended works and six special recommended honours from the jury members on 21 June 2024. The Best Feature Honour was given to a UIC student, Liu Ruoyang, for his A Stranger, which tells a story about the day-to-day relationship between a mother and her daughter suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Liu Ruoyang at the award-winning ceremony
This year, the SIFF EXPLORE section received over 1,300 submissions from more than 70 countries and regions, and 50 works were shortlisted by renowned cinematographer Zhao Xiaoding, British screenwriter and director Arthur Jones, director and screenwriter Wu Lang, animation director and comic artist Momo Wang, and screenwriter Jia Jiawei discussed the theme "The Dance of Technology and Creativity", encouraging young filmmakers to explore and create boldly.
From SIFF and MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Editor: Deen He
