The 11th Chinese Film Festival in France (FCCF) opened in Paris on May 10, with 17 outstanding Chinese films set to be screened in 10 cities and regions across France. Since its inception in 2011, the festival has screened more than 100 Chinese films, reaching over 250,000 viewers in France.
This year’s festival features three sections: New Films, Classic Films, and Documentaries. Chinese films of diverse genres, including Scare Out and The Lychee Road, are being screened in cinemas across Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, and beyond. In Paris, the Classic Films section presents masterpieces in Chinese film history such as The Goddess and Spring in a Small Town, while the Documentaries section focuses on themes of history, art, and humanities through films such as Hidden Landscapes. Scare Out was shown as the opening film. In addition, the China Cultural Center in Paris has launched an exhibition titled “A Century of Silver Screen Memories, A New Chapter Across Two Decades: A Journey Through 120 Years of Chinese Cinema”.
Deng Li, Chinese Ambassador to France, said at the opening ceremony that over the years, the FCCF has used film as a medium to present an authentic and multidimensional image of China to the French public, telling the stories, emotions, and dreams of ordinary Chinese people, while building a bridge for mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. The human touch and historical memory captured by films are particularly precious, he said, adding that they remind people to respect the diversity of civilizations and cherish peace and development, which is the very essence of China-France cultural exchanges.
Qin Zhengui, Deputy Director General of the China Film Administration and Director of the China Film Archive, noted that China and France both have a long history, splendid culture, and abundant resources, which provide an inexhaustible source of inspiration for film creation. He expressed the hope that Chinese and French filmmakers will uncover more touching stories of friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation between the two peoples, producing films that are both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Olivier Henrard, Director of the French National Centre of Cinema (CNC), said France and China are facing similar challenges, from changes in modes of communication and the rise of platforms to competition from digital content. Against this backdrop, he stressed that France-China cooperation based on mutual benefit and experience sharing has become a priority, and that the FCCF serves as an important bridge for film exchanges between the two countries.
