The recipient of the 22nd JIMFF Award is Zhao Jiping, one of China’s most celebrated film composers. During the rise of Chinese cinema’s Fifth Generation, Zhao scored landmark works for Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. His scores defined the sound of the Chinese cinematic renaissance. Rooted in Chinese traditions, his music masterfully blends folk instruments with Western orchestration to form its own narrative. Rather than relying on constant flamboyance, he uses space, pause, and silence to evoke deeper resonance.

This special program presents four films defining Zhao’s musical legacy: Yellow Earth, which heralded Chinese cinema's renaissance; Ju Dou, a tragic tale of desire in vivid color; Raise the Red Lantern, a masterpiece of quiet restraint; and Farewell My Concubine, an epic weaving Peking Opera with modern Chinese history. These films show how Zhao braided tradition and modernity, personal drama and historical change, into a single melody.​