Chinese cinema builds bridges at Berlin Int’l Film Festival-Xinhua
Chinese cinema maintained a notable presence at this yr’s Berlinale. Titles akin to Shanghai Daughter and Light Pillar had been screened in sections together with Panorama and Perspectives, underscoring the variety of latest Chinese filmmaking.
BERLIN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — As the 76th Berlin International Film Festival unfolded, snow fell gently over Potsdamer Platz, dusting the Berlinale’s iconic crimson carpet in white and making a cinematic backdrop for a night devoted to Chinese cinema and cross-cultural alternate.
More than 200 visitors, together with filmmakers from China and all over the world, gathered at a close-by venue on Thursday for the China Film Night 2026 Shanghai International Film Festival Reception. Lively conversations crammed the corridor as business professionals exchanged concepts, bringing heat to the wintry night.
The reception got here as Chinese cinema maintained a notable presence at this yr’s Berlinale. Titles akin to Shanghai Daughter and Light Pillar had been screened in sections together with Panorama and Perspectives, underscoring the variety of latest Chinese filmmaking.
“Chinese films have been gaining momentum overseas in recent years,” stated Chen Guo, managing director of the Shanghai International Film and TV Events Center, the occasion’s organizer.
“In the past, overseas audiences often associated Chinese cinema mainly with kung fu films or historical epics,” Chen instructed Xinhua. “Today, however, whether it is a record-breaking animated blockbuster like ‘Ne Zha’ or contemporary urban stories, Chinese films are resonating more widely with international audiences,” she stated.
That diversification extends past style to storytelling approaches. Young director Shen Zhongmin’s Shanghai Daughter, screened within the Panorama part, presents a living proof.
“International audiences may not grasp every historical detail about China, but universal emotions bridge that gap,” Shen instructed Xinhua.
Shen additionally highlighted the function of the Shanghai International Film Festival, describing it as an open {and professional} platform that helps like-minded filmmakers join, refine their initiatives and produce them to bigger levels.
Xu Zao, whose debut characteristic Light Pillar was chosen for the Perspectives part, stated the Shanghai International Film Festival’s presence in Berlin has created a helpful platform for exchanges between Chinese and worldwide filmmakers.
According to Jiao Hongfen, chairman of the China Film Producers’ Association, as China’s economic system develops, international audiences are more and more fascinated about seeing China on display screen.
Chinese filmmakers are bringing their tales to worldwide viewers, fostering nearer exchanges between Chinese and overseas cinema, Jiao stated.
As China has grow to be the world’s second-largest movie market, it can be crucial not solely to inform China’s tales to the world, but additionally to welcome excellent movies from throughout the globe into China, selling mutual engagement and win-win outcomes, he added. ■
