Giuseppe Tornatore-Led Shanghai Film Festival Jury Says Judging Has ‘No Pre-Established Rule’

Giuseppe Tornatore, the acclaimed Italian director behind “Cinema Paradiso,” said that film evaluation cannot follow predetermined formulas as he leads the international jury for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival‘s Golden Goblet Awards.

“There is no pre-established rule,” Tornatore said Friday during the jury press conference, addressing questions about how the diverse panel would reach consensus. “In a prestigious festival like Shanghai, you know in advance that the films you will see will all be beautiful films… The one that has the right to win is the one that strikes the hearts of all the jurors.”

Speaking at his first visit to Shanghai, Tornatore set expectations for an instinct-driven evaluation process. “I don’t like going to the cinema establishing in advance what I would like to see,” he explained through a translator. “When I enter the cinema and the lights go out, I always feel like I’m an audience member again.”

The international jury includes Argentine director Iván Fund, Chinese actor-director Huang Bo, Greek producer Thanassis Karathanos, Indian filmmaker Kiran Rao, Chinese documentarian Yang Lina, and Chinese actor Yong Mei.

Huang, who won the festival’s best actor award in 2017, offered a colorful metaphor about the benefits of having diverse perspectives on the panel. “The most terrible thing would be if all the judges on stage liked sweet things, then this judging result would likely be severely tilted in one direction,” he said. “Fortunately, among our judges, some like spicy, some like sweet, some like salty, some like slightly bitter. This balance ensures that the final result is relatively objective and rational.”

Fund added, “Cinema is a machine that helps us find what we have in common even though we celebrate our differences, and I think it’s going to be an interesting journey.”

Rao, making her debut trip to China from Mumbai, described the experience as fulfilling a long-held dream. “I think the films that are on offer are clearly some of the best films made this year in the world, so we really will have a lot to discuss and difficult choices to make,” she added.

Karathanos emphasized his open approach to the viewing experience. “I would like to be surprised. I usually don’t like to read or get information before, so I will go with an open heart and mind to watch the films and discover new voices, new impressions.”

The festival features three Chinese films among the international competition entries.

“Shanghai Film Festival is like a film angel that arrives punctually every year during the rainy season, standing in front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel to welcome filmmakers from all over the world,” Yang said, describing the festival’s “core spirit” of multiculturalism.

Yong added, “This is a good opportunity for me to broaden my horizons and learn.”

The festival runs June 13-22.