







Founded in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) returns for its 20th edition with loads of great films battling it out for the Golden Goblet Awards overseen by a panel of judges led by Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.





The festival is also a blessing for movie fans, bringing back hundreds of international classics to the big screen at cinemas across the city.





Here are our top picks from this year's screenings:





4K Restoration of Movie Classics











As part of the film festival's '4K Restoration Programme', SIFF revives 'heavyweight' classics using high-tech restoration. This year's programme includes screenings of:





The Battle of Algiers, dir Gillo Pontecorvo (1966).

Manhattan, dir Woody Allen (1979).

The Tree of Wooden Clogs, dir Ermanno Olmi (1978).

Leon, dir Luc Besson (1994).

The Fifth Element, dir Luc Besson (1997).

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum, dir Kenji Mizoguchi (1939).

Ugetsu, dir Kenji Mizoguchi (1953).





Tribute to Masters









SIFF shows its respect to Rainer Werner Fassbinder, one of the 'Four Masters of New German Cinema'. His six classics Love is Colder than Death, Fear Eats the Soul, Fontane Effi Briest, Chinese Roulette, World on a Wire and Veronika Voss will be screened to commemorate the 35th anniversary of his death.





Another tribute is to French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville, best known for his use of minimalism, coldness and violence, commemorating the 100th birthday of the director. His movies Le Cercle Rouge, Léon Morin, Prêtre, Un Flic, Bob le Flambeur and Le Doulos have been restored (except Un Flic) for the big screen.





Japanese Movie Week









There will also be a Japanese Movie Week as part of the festival, during which many of the films will make their China debuts - it's also the first time Daytime Shooting Star will be screened internationally. The films being shown are:





Hirugao, dir Hiroshi Nishitani (2017).

Daytime Shooting Star, dir Takehiko Shinjo (2017).

Dear Etranger, dir Yukiko Mishima (2017).

Kanon, dir Toshiro Saiga (2016).

Her Love Boils Bathwater, dir Ryota Nakano (2016).

Battle of Supeme High, dir Akira Nagi (2017).

Death Note: Light up the New World, dir Shinsuke Sato (2016).

Sanada 10 Braves, dir Yuhiko Tsutsumi (2016).





Disney Classics





In collaboration with Walt Disney Pictures, the SIFF features ten highly-acclaimed cartoons:





Steamboat Willie (1928).

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

Dumbo (1941).

Bambi (1942).

The Little Mermaid (1989).

Beauty and the Beast (1991).

Aladdin (1992).

The Lion King (1994).

Fantasia/2000 (1999).

Winnie the Pooh (2011).





Documentaries









The SIFF Documentary Screening Unit will show five documentaries demonstrating several master filmmakers' life stories. The documentaries are:





Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson)

Versus: The Life and Films of Ken Loach

The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger

76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Abbas Kiarostami

Blue Velvet Revisited (David Lynch)





SIFF Cinemas across Shanghai. Sat 17-Mon 26. Various times and prices. Visit siff.com for full screening schedules.











Click below for the full schedule







