The China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival kicks off creating an interesting contrast with outstanding productions

Group photo of the guests

Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), and co-organised by the Galaxy Entertainment Group, the “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, integrated in the 6^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, is held from 22 November to 13 December, presenting nearly 30 film productions in Chinese and Portuguese.

On 22 November, the Film Festival kicked off with the Chinese film Escape from the 21^st Century, which was screened at Galaxy Cinemas, Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort. The film garnered the “2024 Outstanding Sci-Fi Film Award” at the 1^st N30º Sci-Fi Film Festival in Xiangshan, China, and was selected for the “Midnight Madness” section of the 49^th Toronto International Film Festival. The opening screening was attended by the President of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Development Fund, Cheong Kin Hong; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Hoi Io Meng; the Chief of the Division of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Xu Dongjie; the Assistant Senior Vice President of Public Relations of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Linda Wong; the Head of Department for Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ho Hong Pan; and the Director of Macao’s film Revisit, Wong Teng Teng. Professionals from the film and cultural industries and guests from local higher education institutions were also invited.

Themed “Creating an Interesting Contrast”, the “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, one of the series of activities of the “6^th Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, is held for an extended period of three weeks for the first time. This edition of the Film Festival features five sections, namely “Dual Screening Delight I.—Director in Focus: Guan Hu X Miguel Gomes”, “Dual Screening Delight II.—A Tale of Two Cities”, “Premiere of Chinese and Lusophone Films”, “Chinese-Portuguese Short Films”, and “Outdoor Screening—New Visual Forces in Macao”, presenting nearly 30 films, animations and short films from China (including Macao) and the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. New releases and selected works by renowned directors will be screened, creating a series of heartfelt, fantastical and interesting dialogue and exchange.

With a focus on Chinese and Portuguese directors who made their mark at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “Dual Screening Delight—Guan Hu X Miguel Gomes” will present a selection of the directors’ productions. The closing film will be Grand Tour, the latest worked directed by Miguel Gomes, winner of the “Best Director Award” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The section “Premiere of Chinese and Lusophone Films” will feature the latest work Revisit by Macao director Wong Teng Teng, as well as a post-screening session. The section “Chinese-Portuguese Short Films” will present A Summer’s End Poem, which was nominated and awarded at various international film festivals such as the Berlin International Film Festival and the Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival, and director Lam Can-zhao was invited to hold a post-screening sharing session in Macao. The section “Outdoor Screening—New Visual Forces in Macao” will be held on 7 December at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards, an area revitalised through the collaboration between the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Galaxy Entertainment Group, screening four short films from this year’s “Local View Power” including Hand Hand by Jarvis Xin, Girl with Amen by Teng Kun Hou, Before the Downpour by Mak Man Teng, and the animated short Inheritance by Josie Ip, as well as a post-screening director sharing session. On the day of the activity, free shuttle buses will be provided between Coloane Village and the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards area.

During the Film Festival, various outreach activities will be held, including the, “Kidz Fun: Parent-child Experience Session at Galaxy Cinemas” on 23 November, jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort. Children and parents can engage in different tasks of Galaxy Cinemas, such as ticket sales, snack sales, ticket checking, ushering film screening, in which they can learn about the operations of the cinema and experience the fun of films from different perspectives. They will also spend a wonderful time with families at the Edutainment Center of Galaxy Macao. Cinematheque・Passion will host the “Portuguese Tile Painting Workshop”, in which a professional instructor will introduce the historical background of traditional Portuguese tile art, guide participants to appreciate different tile artworks and teach them the painting techniques. “Talk: The Fabulous One: Miguel Gomes, the Storyteller” will use material from The Arabian Nights and other film productions to explore how the filmmaker reflects Portugal’s history through the lens.

In order to promote cinematographic culture, this edition of the Film Festival will launch a special promotion “Cinematheque・Passion” X “Galaxy Cinemas”. During the promotion period, spectators can purchase one discounted film ticket at the box office of another cinema by presenting their physical ticket bought from the one of the abovementioned cinemas. All residents and tourists are welcome to attend and enjoy the sparks of the meeting of Chinese and Lusophone cultures through the screen, which are ready to ignite humour and passion in everyday life.

Registration and ticket purchase for the activities of the Film Festival can be made through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account or the Cinematheque・Passion website. For more information about the event and discounts, please visit the “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” website at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP and the Cinematheque・Passion website at www.cinematheque-passion.mo. For enquiries, please contact IC through tel. no. 8399 6256 or 8399 6280 during office hours.