Hao Jie's third film, "My Original Dream," eyes to snatch the grand prize of this year's Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film, according to Hao, aims to "relive ordinary man's adolescent years."
Set in the late '80s and early '90s, it follows the story of Zhao Shanshan who braved Beijing to pursue a career in the film industry.
"My Original Dream" also delves into the romantic aspect of the protagonist's life, depicting an adolescent's view of love and relationships.
In a press conference, Hao admitted that "85 percent of the story was based on [his] own experience."
According to critics, the film's atmosphere was refreshing, citing that it seems like Hao's directorial debut.
Hao's film is competing against 15 other entries for this year's Grand Prix.
Nonetheless, "My Original Dream" is not the only Chinese film that is eyeing for honors in the 2015 edition of the prestigious TIFF.
According to a Xinhua News Agency report, the film "Young Love Lost" is competing for the top prize of the film festival's Asian Future section. The title is helmed by Xiang Guoqiang and is a Gold Horse Prize nominee.
Apart from these films, other homegrown titles will also be featured at the TIFF. Ten films including "Monster Hunt," "Silent Separation," and "Fleet of Time" will be shown during the festival's "Chinese Film Week," which is from Oct. 22-28.
The Tokyo film festival opened on Thursday.
First established in 1985, it is now regarded as one of the biggest and much-anticipated film events in the Asian region. It was also Japan's first major film festival.