In April, Beijing is filled with the air of light and shadow and fireworks. From the mottled brick walls of the Grand View Building of the Centennial Cinema in Dashilan to the huge neon screens of the CBD business district; from the collision of the symphony on the Yanqi Lake and the grassland Humai, to the fragrance of pickles floating out of the time-honored brands - this city has transformed into a "film theme park" due to the holding of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival. A thin movie ticket stub not only carries the joys and sorrows on the screen, but also becomes the "golden key" connecting catering, tourism, cultural and creative industries and accommodation, setting off a consumer carnival in the name of light and shadow.

The whole city is the "second scene" of the Beijing Film Festival

On April 19, the 15th Beijing International Film Festival kicked off the open-air screening at the basketball court in Langyuan Station. Chen Sicheng, director of the opening film "Decryption", came to the scene and had a conversation with the movie fans. Chen Sicheng's words "The people and stories in the movie exist in a long-standing dimension and will always be vivid", bringing warm footnotes to this carnival.

As the core main venue of the Beijing Film Festival, Langyuan Station's "Spring Scenery Movie" film market is intertwined with art and fireworks, condensing light and shadow and life. The movie "Nezha: The Devil Child's Fighting the Sea" hand-painted poster exhibition fully presents 150 hand-painted posters created by Director Jiaozi for the film. The audience shuttled between the check-in wall and the interactive device, as if stepping into the mythical world. More than 40 retro IP cultural and creative stores display exquisite works of independent designs. The stall owner and NPC were dressed in "No Name" and "Flower Flowers" and old Shanghai retro costumes. With the theme of "Film Memory and Quest for Eternity", they replicated the classic 20th century movie scenes, creating an immersive corridor from black and white silent films to the golden age of Chinese, and awakening the collective memory of movie fans.

In the 798 Art Zone, tourists who are leisurely visiting while taking photos and checking in can easily enjoy discounts from more than 100 merchants in the park by holding movie ticket stubs, covering a variety of business formats such as exhibitions, cultural and creative industries, and catering. According to the park staff, the event was only one week after it was launched. In some stores, people participating in the "Yiqi Light and Shadow·Huiju 798·751" ticket stub exclusive discount activity accounted for 10% of the number of people entering the store, and the average daily sales increased by 150.23% month-on-month compared with before the event. More than 20 activities including film forums, short film selection, theme markets, VR theaters, outdoor screenings, etc. have further enriched the artistic ecology of 798.

As dusk fades into the city, the feast of light and shadow continues. China Resources Phoenix Huili Lane transformed into an "open-air theater living room", and fans savored the cool summer nights in the images of "Red Rose and White Rose". At the corner, the movie-themed cocktail of the Great Gatsby, the theme dinner of the Godfather, and the experience book of Shawshank, let the light and shadow intertwin the aroma of coffee...

The "Wukesong Movie Food Festival" in Haidian District and the "Anime Carnival in Spring" market activities also complement each other. The animation surroundings, trendy toys and food are complemented by planting the seeds of light and shadow in people's lives.

Behind the ticket stub is the "eastern egg" of the entire city

In order to activate the urban cultural vitality and promote the deep integration of culture, business, tourism and sports, the Beijing Cultural Consumption Promotion Action has launched a people-friendly measure for the Beijing International Film Festival for the first time - issuing 5 million yuan in movie consumption coupons, so that the general public can truly enjoy the benefits. Not only that, a thin ticket stub has also changed from a traditional movie viewing voucher to a "urban consumption key", connecting diverse consumption scenarios such as catering, shopping, sports, and tourism.

After watching the movie at the China Film Archive, the movie fan Mr. Zhang redeems a football at Hualian Mall with his ticket stubs. The photos posted on the circle of friends instantly sparked heated discussions, "Please give me a guide!" and "This wave of benefits must be fetched!" messages flooded the screen. The same scene is being performed simultaneously in more than 60 business districts and more than 1,100 merchants in Beijing. A Beijing Film Festival ticket stub can unlock many discounts. Chaoyang Joy City launched the "Dianping Must-Eat Carnival" event on April 19. Consumers can not only taste delicious food in one stop, but also get exclusive cultural and creative products for the Beijing International Film Festival. The first opening of Tongzhou Vientiane is also very rich. From April 18 to April 26, a limited fan-friendly welfare and surprise lottery will be held. With the Beijing Film Festival screening stub or work permit, you can enjoy exclusive discounts for the store. You can have the opportunity to win generous prizes such as Universal Studios' annual card.

Meituan invested 10 million yuan in the "Beijing Film Festival Support Fund". Consumers can participate in various discount promotion activities of "food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, shopping and entertainment" by searching Meituan's "Beijing International Film Festival" and "2025 Beijing Film Festival". The "Feeling Beijing" movie-watching food map released simultaneously has also become a treasure book for foodie movie fans.

The film culture genes even penetrate into the sports field. The Huamao Center held a cycling party of "Shadow Moves Beijing Riders Meet Stars". You can get customized cycling equipment with ticket stubs, combining sports and leisure with film culture; in the equestrian arena, watch movie tickets during the film festival, watch the International Equestrian Creative Spring CSI1 event and the International Equestrian Federation FEI Equestrian Stadium Obstacle World Cup China League Beijing Station with tickets.

The deep integration of business and culture has given birth to new consumption methods. During the film festival, "Shopping in the business district with tickets" has become a new fashion for citizens.

The old brand "electric shock" tradition collides with light and shadow

A must-visit stop for the Beijing Film Life Festival is the Daguanlou Cinema located in Dashalan, Qianmen. In 1905, the Dahengxuan Teahouse was officially renamed Daguanlou Film Park, and since then it has become closely related to the history of Chinese films. In the same year, China's first film, "Dingjun Mountain", was screened here.

From then on, the light and shadow in the building have been going on for 120 years until today. The fireworks in Beijing's south city have soaked the screen, and the movie has been preserved as part of Beijing's citizen culture to this day. A hundred years passed by, and the audience in the audience changed countless rounds, but their love for the movie was consistent. At the Beijing Film Life Festival, the fireworks in the south of the city a hundred years ago were also brought to all movie fans.

Starting from the Daguanlou Cinema, visitors can stroll to the gathering place of Qianmen’s time-honored brands. As a traditional commercial district in Beijing, it brings together many century-old stores such as Hongdu, Neilensheng, Liubiju, and Enamel Factory. Each of them carries a unique Beijing-style culture and historical memory. According to the "Qianmen Time-honored Brand Eating, Drinking and Playing Map", movie fans can experience the new national trend of time-honored brands and enjoy exclusive discounts with the film festival screening stub or film festival certificate. Watch classic movies, listen to Beijing accents and Beijing rhymes, taste Beijing food, and enjoy the dual beauty of screen and history.

Visitors from afar contribute to box office to drive urban consumption

A Shanghai movie fan who is participating in the film festival in Beijing said: "Every ticket is a pass to meet Beijing, and every time I check in, I collect the cultural genes of this city."

As the influence of the Beijing International Film Festival increases year by year, this light and shadow feast has long broken through the regional boundaries. Data shows that 3.5% of viewers came from Shanghai last year, and this year the proportion of Shanghai fans spanning 1,211 kilometers increased to 3.8%. Tianjin fans took a short trip of 134 kilometers to account for 2.5%. Some Shenzhen fans traveled across 2,162 kilometers to Beijing to "chase the light".

"What foreign audiences bring is not only box office, but also a driving force for urban consumption." Beijing Film Festival curator Sha Dan admitted. To this end, the film festival uses film as the axis to weave a three-dimensional network covering culture, tourism, business and experience. The 12 "Travel with Movies" theme routes launched by Ctrip and Tongcheng connect the movie experience with the Great Wall and the Forbidden City into a line. The 100,000 travel coupons issued by Tongcheng Travel Platform enjoy immediate discounts on air tickets and train tickets to and from Beijing, making "flying" movies a new trend.

Huairou District has launched discount packages for 30 hotels and 72 homestays, with a 50% discount of 88% discount. At the same time, 13 "star check-in tours" and parent-child tours and study tours are carefully designed. Take the "movie theme train to the film capital" and shuttle through key scenic spots and internet celebrity check-in places. Visitors can not only enjoy the filming sites of blockbusters such as "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Wandering Earth", but also deeply experience the natural scenery and folk customs of Huairou.

The carnival of the Beijing Film Festival also extends to the "cloud". On Xiaohongshu and Weibo, the "Daily Check-in Star" event triggered a national creative enthusiasm... The Beijing Film Festival has deeply integrated film culture with urban culture and created a new landscape.

Text/Reporter Xiao Yang

[Editor in charge: Yang Guang]