China’s cinema output has exploded in recent years. Increased film production – and a massive uptake in the consumption of both international and homegrown cinema – has made it one of the world’s major film markets. With this in mind, our ongoing commitment to screening the best films from across the Chinese-speaking world has never felt more relevant, with next year seeing a clutch of such screenings.
The year begins with, of course, Chinese New Year. Working alongside the Chinese Film Forum UK (CFFUK), we mark the start of the Year of the Rooster with a special screening of shorts that will bring the work of the top directors from mainland China to Manchester – and which ties to the wider Chinese New Year celebrations that Manchester as a city is so well known for.
Chinese New Year is just the start. 2017 also marks a momentous cultural and political milestone: the twentieth anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China (commonly referred to as “the handover”). Working alongside partners such as the Confucius Institute and the city’s universities, we have embarked on an ambitious collaboration with The Hong Kong International Film Festival: a series of events that reflect the work produced since that momentous day on 30 June 1997 when Hong Kong became part of the People’s Republic of China.
Included are films that reveal the new opportunities for Hong Kong filmmakers to work on big budget co-productions aimed at the mainland Chinese market, alongside smaller films that consider the impact of closer relations with the mainland on the people, culture and identity of Hong Kong – something that has become even more pertinent since the umbrella protests of 2014.
Our full programme will be announced in the Autumn.
HOME Digital in association with Virgin Media Business
