Promotional poster for the 19th Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival Photo: Courtesy of the official WeChat account of the Chinese American Film Festival

 

Aiming to connect two of world’s largest film markets, the 19th Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival is scheduled to kick off on Thursday.

A total of 10 films will be screened at the festival, and the Golden Angel Award will be revealed on Thursday.

James Su, chairman of the Chinese American Film Festival and the Chinese American Television Festival, told the Global Times that the festival aims to promote cooperation in the film and television cultural industry between China and the US and enhance cultural exchange and mutual learning. It also aims to build a bridge of friendship through film and television culture for better communication, understanding, and mutual benefit.

According to Su, this marks the first face-to-face dialogue between leading figures in the Chinese and American film and television industries and experts and scholars since the pandemic. They will assemble in the Sheraton Los Angeles San Gabriel and jointly explore cooperation and the future of the Chinese-American film and television industry. 

He mentioned that compared to previous years, this year’s festival has seen a more practical and proactive approach from both China and the US. The Los Angeles County Government in the US has designated November as “Chinese American Film Festival, TV Festival Month” for the eighth consecutive year, and officials at various levels in the US along with high-ranking executives from major Hollywood studios are actively supporting this year’s event.

One of the highlights of this edition is the introduction of the “investment and innovation unit” for the first time, which provides comprehensive support for excellent film projects from both China and the US. The unit is dedicated to identifying talented filmmakers from both countries with creative potential and recognizing and supporting outstanding projects that have international, artistic, intellectual, and market value. 

The festival will combine the best of world culture with Chinese culture in an open and inclusive manner. By discovering and supporting high-quality works, it seeks to further enhance the progress and international reach of film and television culture in the new era, according to Su.

Founded in 2005 by EDI Media Inc. (USA), the festival is a China-US cultural event recognized by both the US and Chinese governments. The annual event is usually held in November in Los Angeles, Xinhua News Agency reported.