The World (film) France's Lumen Films. It received additional financial support from the Shanghai Film Studio and several Japanese corporations including Bandai Visual and Tokyo FM, among others. The film premiered in competition at the 2004 Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2004, but failed to win the coveted Golden Lion, the festival's top award, which ultimately went to Mike Leigh's drama "Vera Drake", but which Jia would win two years later with "Still Life". "The World" also premiered in 2004 at the New York Film Festival and would go on to receive a limited release in New York City the following year
Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival the festival and attendance numbers continued to grow. Industry Panels moved to the local Monarch Tavern and the festival also held its first-ever movie poster gallery show in conjunction with the festival at nearby artspace the Super Wonder Gallery. The lineup showed 9 feature films and 23 shorts and also included formal awards show hosted by Nick Smyth after the completion of the closing gala film. Films hosted included World Premieres of Red Spring and Blood Child as well as critical darlings Fake Blood and The Child Remains along with Best Picture winner Buckout Road, Art of Obsession, Kill Order