The Ecosystem of Chinese Film Festivals and Their Contribution to the Diversity of Film Culture

Speaker: CAO Liuying

On the occasion of the 12th Chinese Film Festival in Munich, our festival curator Ms. CAO Liuying will speak at our 203rd Jour Fixe.

Although the Chinese film market benefits from a large population base and a strong production landscape, its distribution sector suffers from increasing "uniformity" for various reasons. The space for independent and low-budget films, especially art films, has been further restricted since the pandemic. At the same time, the film festival landscape in China is experiencing remarkable growth. From major state-sponsored festivals (like those in Beijing and Shanghai) to medium and small festivals curated by professional teams (such as Pingyao and FIRST), as well as specialized, independent festivals focused on short films, women’s films, and queer cinema, a range of new event formats is flourishing. These diverse festivals form a rich ecosystem and provide art films that lack space in mainstream cinema with an opportunity to reach an audience, offering a meaningful supplement to China’s homogeneous film system.

This presentation will shed light on the history and current status of these film festivals and highlight several case studies of festivals that have gained significant recognition among film enthusiasts in recent years.

About the Presenter:

CAO Liuying (曹柳莺) is a board member of the Shanghai Film Critics Association, a film producer, and a film critic. Every year, she brings many outstanding films by young and established directors from the Chinese-speaking world to the international market. She is also the curator of the 12th Chinese Film Festival in Munich.