ART COLLEGE 1994 (YI SHU XUE YUAN 1994), 2023

China | DCP, Color, 118’ |Chinese, Mandarin, English
Director: Jian Liu
Cast: Zijian Dong, Dongyu Zhou, Changchu Xu

Set in a Chinese art academy on the cusp of change in 1994, the film follows three students – Xiaojun, confined by the strict discipline of traditional ink painting; Youcai, obsessed with performance art; and Zhifei, chasing conceptual art – navigating daily struggles amid political uncertainty and cultural transformation. Between romantic disappointments and institutional pressures, they search for their own answers to questions of art, authenticity, and freedom of expression. Capturing the fragile energy of a generation caught between Western influence and local tradition, the film evokes the 1990s with gentle nostalgia and subtle humor through its hand-drawn animation style.