Photo by Lintao Zhang/IWC Schaffhausen via Getty Images

To celebrate the achievements of the Chinese film industry, luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen hosted an exclusive gala dinner titled “For the Love of Cinema”, in conjunction with the Beijing International Film Festival. Held at the breathtaking Imperial Ancestral Temple on April 18, the event saw guests from the film industry congregate to applaud the achievements of young Chinese filmmakers.

China is currently the largest film market in the world this year, after steadily building their presence in the international film industry in recent years. “With their immense talent and diversity, Chinese filmmakers are self-confidently claiming their place in the world of film. As a partner of this wonderful festival, we are excited to witness the incredible growth and evolution of the Chinese film industry first-hand”, says Franziska Gsell, Chief Marketing Officer of IWC Schaffhausen. This is the fifth consecutive year that IWC has partnered with the film festival.

Despite its elegant and regal façade, the Imperial Ancestral Temple was transformed to have more of a modern contemporary flavour for the purposes of this event. Beyond the venue’s traditional oriental cocktail area, guests strolled through a dramatic light installation tunnel commissioned by lighting designer Javier Tan before moving to the modern dinner reception hall. The glitterati in attendance included Chen Bolin, Zhang Zilin, Zhang Ruoyun and Jiang Qinqin. IWC ambassadors Zhou Xun and Dev Patel were also amongst attendees. Guests were treated to a night of sights and sounds— the Beijing Orchestra played renditions of songs from popular Chinese movie soundtracks, while singer Jane Zhang wrapped up the event with a spectacular stage.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the presentation of the IWC Filmmaker Award, honouring exceptional filmmakers for their contributions to the film and entertainment industry. The big winner of the night was Chinese film director Derek Tsang. Tsang was presented with the IWC Outstanding Young Filmmaker of the Year award for his directorial vision in “Soul Mate”, a Chinese romantic drama.

The worlds of watchmaking and filmmaking have parallels in how they both draw from tradition and unyielding passion; obviously, on the technical front, both also shift and shape time. An avid supporter of film, IWC has supported film festivals in New York, Zurich, London and Dubai. A pioneer in haute horlogerie, IWC has been making technically advanced timepieces that sell the emotional drama of time since 1868. It pursues partnerships with organisations that share its values all over the world and has lately been working a great deal with the world of cinema.

For more information, visit IWC.