Shanghai: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival is to be held in Chongqing, China from June 23 to 27 this year in order to enhance deeper cultural and industrial collaboration through cinema.
Organized in preparation for the SCO Summit scheduled for later this year, the festival will comprise film screenings, competitions, and major industry exchange programs. With China holding the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2025, the country seeks to use this opportunity to extend its cultural influence and strengthen ties with fellow member states through film.
Mao Yu, the executive deputy director-general of the China Film Administration, reiterated China's commitment to further openness in the film market.
He announced that Chinese distribution companies are encouraged to import and release in cinema and television extraordinary films screened in the festival. These schemes will bring forward opportunities for filmmakers in the SCO space.
The event will also see the official launch of two very important initiatives: the SCO Youth Film Talent Exchange Program and the SCO National Film Producers Association Alliance. These platforms aim to train and promote young filmmakers and encourage co-productions between SCO countries, which share significant cultural and historical bonds.
Experts believe that the shared cultures do provide a strong basis for the development of collaborative stories-for instance Buddhism between China and India jointly can make the basis for stories. Films like Xuan Zang, which talk of the journey of a Chinese monk into India, provide proof of such cooperative ventures.
Shri Janesh Kain, Deputy Secretary General of the SCO, spoke highly of the tradition of holding film-related organizations under the SCO framework and expressed confidence that this year's festival will be an epitome of the "Shanghai Spirit" of cooperation, mutual respect, and common development for culture.
[Source Credit: The Tribune]
