From late August to mid-September, the2024 "Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program" (Maritime Guangdong Program) will see its selected projects start production. Young filmmakers are heading to the Lingnan region to explore diverse creative projects.

In Sanshui District, Foshan City, young director Bi Shanyi discovered the key image for his story, a river that represents the growth of youth.In his film "The Rain Will Fall, The Pig Will Sink", a band formed by A Dengwho failed the college entrance exam, andhis fellow exam-failing classmatesplay the rhythms of rural life into a life anthem by this river. In Langtou Village in Huadu District, Guangzhou, Bi Shanyi also merges the film's rock band with local traditional culture, making this small-town youth story even more captivating and intriguing. A group of students from the Huadu Second Senior High Schooltook part as well,experiencing acting in a film firsthand.

Also in Sanshui, Foshan, young director Hu Qiao began filming "The Third Goalkeeper", the only mobile film in the 2024 Maritime Guangdong Program. In this story, Hu Qiao aims to fulfill a man's football dream on the green field while exploring the secret to finding "possibility" in life's "impossibilities". He chose the Yunxiu Mountain Sports Stadium in Sanshui District, which hosts Foshan "La Liga", for its rich grassroots football atmosphere in Guangdong.

Filmed in Huanghua Town, Yingde, Qingyuan City, Guangdong Province, "Nature Town" tells a story of a girl's growth and healing. Set in a Guangdong tea town after the rainy season, every scene under the direction of young filmmakers Dai Xiaolu and Mu Ming seems to exude a subtle aroma of black tea.

Young director Zhang Yichuan's crew went to Taishan, Guangdong, to film "Oblivion". In the story, the heroine Linda, and her new friend, a local young man named Azu, embark on a nostalgic journey. Local delicacies, "furnace cake" (Chinese waffles) and "eel with rice", are highlights of their trip. The crew filmed on location at the first furnace cake shop in Taishan, Aunt Gui Furnace Cake Shop, with the shop owner, Old Xu, playing himself.

In "Hi, Marilyn", filmed in both Macao SAR and Shenzhen, director Zhang Di aims to capture the childhood memories of the South through the story of a boy named Wu Ziyan. In Macao SAR, the crew witnessed a rainbow after the rain on Hac Sa Beach. While in Shenzhen, they uncovered"treasures" filled with youthful memories in the attic of a grocery store. At Shenzhen Yangang Middle School in Yantian District, a group of middle school students who had never acted before joined the crew, spending an unforgettable day in front of the camera.

In Southern China, the stories of Maritime Guangdong continue to unfold.

回到小镇，寻影岭南

8月底至9月中，2024“向山海走去”青年导演创作扶持计划（以下简称山海计划）入选项目陆续开机。青年电影人奔赴岭南山海，展开多元创作。

在佛山三水区，青年导演闭善益找到了他故事里最重要的意象——承载少年成长的河。在他的作品《落水天，沉落去》里，高考失利的阿邓和他的落榜同学们组成的乐队，正是在这条河边，将乡间万物奏成了人生之歌。在广州花都的塱头古村，闭善益还让片中的摇滚乐队与当地的传统文化相碰撞，让这个发生在小镇的青春故事变得更为有趣和迷人。来自花都二中的一群学生们，成为了剧本里的一环，体验了一把拍电影当演员。

同样在佛山三水区，青年导演胡峤开机拍摄了今年山海计划项目中唯一的手机影片《三门》。在这个故事里，胡峤要在绿茵场上圆一个男人的足球梦，同时寻找如何从人生“不可能”中找到“可能”的秘诀。胡峤选择在举办佛山“西甲”的三水云秀山体育场取景，因为他认为这里是广东草根足球氛围最为浓厚之处。

在广东省清远市英德黄花镇开拍的《雀尾》，讲述了一个女孩的成长和疗愈故事。故事在雨季后的广东茶园小镇里发生，在青年导演戴晓璐和牧明的执导下，每一个镜头仿佛都散发着淡淡的红茶香。

青年导演张艺川的剧组《炉底糍就是华夫饼》则奔赴了广东台山。故事里女主人公Linda与新识的小镇青年阿祖踏上了一段回忆之旅，“炉底糍”和“黄鳝饭”两种当地美食是旅途中的亮点。剧组为此前往台山第一家炉底糍店——桂姨炉底糍店实景拍摄，小吃店老板老许本色出演。

在澳门和深圳双城拍摄的《你好，马莉莉》中，导演张迪想用男孩吴子言的故事，呈现她记忆里南方的童年。在澳门，剧组在黑沙海滩看到了雨后彩虹；在深圳，他们又在一个杂货店老板的阁楼上挖到了充满年少记忆的“宝藏”。在深圳市盐田区的盐港中学，一群从没“触电”过的中学生加入剧组，度过了他们在镜头下的难忘一天。

在南方，山海故事仍在继续发生。

文丨记者 李丽
图丨记者 钟振彬 宋金峪
翻译丨肖凯欣
英文审校丨赵凡