On September 28th, director Bi Gan officially announced a November 22nd release date for his third feature film, Wild Times, along with a new set of stills. This film, which won the Special Prize in the main competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, is directed by Bi Gan and stars Jackson Yee and Shu Qi, with special guest appearances by Mark Chao, Li Gengxi, Huang Jue, and Chen Yongzhong. It also recently received the Artistic Contribution Award at this year's Busan Film Festival.
Stills from "Wild Times"
The film has been confirmed as the closing film for the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival and will premiere in China at the Pingyao Film Palace on September 29th, sparking anticipation for its nationwide release. At a Pingyao masterclass, Bi Gan poetically explained the creative process behind "Wild Times." He explained that the world is falling, and the boundaries between reality and dreams are blurring. Dreaming is a primal and instinctive thing. At night, the world is completely dark, and our eyes can no longer see anything. Over time, our vision deteriorates. However, our brains prevent this deterioration by constantly replaying heartwarming images at night. He believes that the meanings of film and dreams are very similar. He added, "I created "Wild Times" to allow everyone, like me, to see the light of cinema in a dark environment."
"Wild Times" released the official poster: the marble sculpture was opened by a monster's hand, and the dusty "Mesmerizer" deep in the cracks shed tears.
As the only Chinese-language film in this year's Cannes Film Festival's main competition, "Wild Times" uses a highly imaginative narrative to construct a unique near-future world: in a world where humans no longer dream, a monster remains obsessed with the illusions of dreams. He is lost. A woman, able to discern illusions, infiltrates his dreams to find him. Cannes Film Festival Director Christian Jean praised the film, saying it "brings unprecedented visual surprises, as if leading the audience into the director's dreamland." This unique artistic expression ultimately earned the film the Jury's Special Prize.
Shu Qi, who recently won Best Director in Busan, plays a character in "Wild Times" that director Bi Gan describes as representing a deeply rational creative perspective, symbolizing the existence "behind the camera." Like a rational observer, she creates a contrast and interaction with Yi Yangqianxi's "The Bewitched," who represents a state of madness and wandering emotions. Yi Yangqianxi plays five distinct characters in the film, ranging from a lonely wanderer to a powerful figure in control of the discourse, each character requiring a unique aura.
Shu Qi is a rational observer in the film
Yi Yangqianxi plays the role of "The Enchantress" in the film
It is worth mentioning that on the day of the release date, "Wild Times" also announced plans to be released in many places around the world: Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and other regions will be released in late November, while France, the United States, Japan and other countries will meet with audiences from the end of 2025 to mid-2026.
"Wild Times" global release plan
