The opening ceremony of the sixth edition of the FanHua Chinese Film Festival in Florence, Italy, on October 14, 2026 Photo: Courtesy of the organizing committee

The sixth edition of the FanHua Chinese Film Festival opened in Florence, Italy, on the evening of October 14 local time, attracting more than 400 guests from local cultural, academic and Chinese communities.

The opening ceremony brought together Huang Xinhua, acting Chinese consul general in Florence, Giovanni Bettarini, Florence’s deputy mayor for culture, and Zhang Xiuzhong, president of the festival, along with other representatives.

Huang said Chinese cinema and the film industry have made significant progress in recent years, while the festival has continued to grow into an important platform for cinematic and cultural exchanges between China and Italy. This year’s program features a selection of outstanding Chinese films, showcasing the achievements of Chinese cinema and helping Italian audiences gain a deeper understanding of China.

Bettarini said the festival has become an important part of Florence’s cultural life, reflecting the city’s openness and cultural diversity. He noted that cinema provides an artistic language through which Italian audiences can explore the diverse landscape of Chinese filmmaking, fostering cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Zhang said that over the past six years, the festival has provided Italian audiences with a window into contemporary China and developed into an important platform for promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries. This year, the festival has further expanded its cooperation with local educational institutions, art museums and cultural organizations, encouraging younger generations to better understand different cultures through cinema. It also seeks to strengthen interaction between Chinese communities in Florence and Prato and local society.

The festival runs from October 14 to 18 at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence. Several acclaimed contemporary Chinese films including Dear You, It’s OK will have their Italian premieres during the event.

A series of parallel cultural activities will also take place during the festival, including film education exchanges for local schools and art institutions, as well as contemporary art projects organized in collaboration with cultural venues. These initiatives aim to further expand exchanges between China and Italy in cinema, education and visual arts.

Global Times