“Charm Pudong Gala Night” Shines to Build a Bridge for Mutual Learning between Civilizations through Cinema

On the evening of June 20, the “Charm Pudong Gala Night” event of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival’s Belt and Road Film Week was held at the Museum of Art Pudong. The honors for “Audience Choice Award” and “Audience Recommendation Award” were announced on-site, as renowned filmmakers from the Belt and Road countries gathered to witness the highlight of this year’s Belt and Road Film Week. Pan Min, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of CPC and Director of Shanghai Film Bureau, Huang Wei, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area Committee of CPC, along with the Belt and Road Film Tour ambassadors Geng Le and Guo Keyu, jointly launched a new round of the Belt and Road Film Tour.

East Meets West in Cultural Resonance, Pudong’s Charms Showcased in Full Splendor

The event kicked off with the electronic folk music piece Echoes of the Silk Road, where Eastern and Western musical notes blended seamlessly, vividly embodying the cultural resonance among the Belt and Road countries. This year’s Belt and Road Film Week, themed “Traveling through Cinema”, fully integrated Pudong New Area’s cultural, tourism, commercial, sports, and exhibition resources to curate a series of sightseeing activities. Overseas filmmakers attending this year’s SIFF were invited to explore Pudong’s natural landscapes and cultural charm in depth.

During the ceremony, a travel-themed short film took guests on a visual journey through their Pudong adventures. The footage showcased the cobblestone paths and traditional white-walled, black-tiled houses of Xinchang Ancient Town, the cosmopolitan commercial vibe of Bicester Village, and the modern artistic allure of the Museum of Art Pudong - offering a vivid glimpse into Shanghai Pudong’s inclusive spirit and dynamic development. The smiles on the guests’ faces were captured frame by frame, creating unforgettable memories.

During their visits, international guests deeply experienced the unique charm of Shanghai-style culture and gained firsthand insight into Pudong’s development prospects, expressing strong confidence in future cooperation. Many participants noted that the event showcased Pudong’s multifaceted appeal as the core of a global metropolis - boasting both profound historical heritage and vibrant modern development. They enthusiastically expressed their desire to gain deeper understanding of Pudong and Shanghai, hoping to establish closer interactions in areas such as cultural exchange and film collaboration in the future.

Audience-Selected Highlights Shine as International Filmmakers Discuss Collaboration

This year’s Belt and Road Film Week screening section featured 15 diverse films from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past week, more than 2,000 audience members voted for their favorite works. At the event, the honors for “Audience Choice Award” and “Audience Recommendation Award” were announced. Corina from Mexico received the “Audience Choice Award” award, while Reostat‎ from Romania and The Shore of Life from China were jointly awarded the “Audience Recommendation Award” honor.

The awarded creative teams expressed heartfelt gratitude to the audience of SIFF, thanking them for their support and appreciation. They also highly praised the Belt and Road Film Week for building an international exchange platform among Belt and Road countries, noting that it provides valuable opportunities for communication and collaboration among filmmakers from different nations and significantly promotes cultural exchange and mutual learning. This year’s award presenters were all representatives from members of the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance. At the event, international film professionals engaged in discussions on film creation and market cooperation. Worawudh Chotikul, Assistant Vice President of the Thailand National Federation of Motion Pictures and Contents Associations, shared insights into why Thai films are popular in China, emphasizing the importance of “emotional resonance” and “effective marketing”. Mohamed Tarek, Artistic Director of the Cairo International Film Festival, reviewed the history of film exchange between China and Egypt and praised the taste of Chinese audiences.

As a gesture of appreciation to long-time supporters, this year’s Belt and Road Film Week introduced a new “Lucky Audience Award ”. At the event, Chen Guo, Director of Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals, Co., Ltd., randomly selected one lucky winner from the pool of voters to receive a RIMOWA suitcase. This thoughtfully prepared gift not only rewards the lucky attendee but also aims to inspire more movie lovers to embark on cinematic journeys, discovering their own memories and aspirations through film.

Yangtze River Delta Screening Program Launched for a Cinematic Feast across Five Cities

At the event, the 2025 Belt and Road Film Week Yangtze River Delta Screening Program was officially launched. From today until June 27, five cities - Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei - will simultaneously screen five carefully selected international films. Audiences across the Yangtze River Delta can experience the unique charm of the Shanghai International Film Festival close to home, immersing themselves in cinematic journeys that showcase the landscapes and cultures along the Silk Road and embark on a cross-regional voyage of cultural discovery through cinema.

At the launching ceremony, Sun Yu, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Shanghai International Resort, joined Jin Hui, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, Ye Feng, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Film Exhibition Association, and Zhao Yulun, Secretary-General of the Anhui Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, to officially activate the screening device. As the map of cinema screens across the Yangtze River Delta lit up, it signified the official beginning of this year’s regional screening initiative. Looking ahead, the Belt and Road Film Week will continue to expand its geographic reach and audience impact, deepening cultural cooperation across the Yangtze River Delta and bringing quality cultural experiences to a broader public.

The Belt and Road Film Tour Ambassadors Debut to Support Chinese Cinema’s Global Reach

A highlight of the event was the appointment of the Belt and Road Film Tour Ambassadors. Huang Wei, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area Committee of CPC, presented honorary certificates to actor Geng Le and actress Guo Keyu. Geng Le shared that since the Alliance’s inception, 54 Chinese films have been screened internationally through the film tour framework, with three winning major international awards - a vivid testament to cultural resonance. “I look forward to working with fellow filmmakers to contribute even more compelling screen stories, allowing audiences around the world to connect through film.” Guo Keyu, referencing her performance in Brief History of a Family, spoke about how cinema can transcend language barriers and foster global dialogue. “I hope films are not just vessels for storytelling, but echoes and bridges of feelings and cultures.”

Pan Min, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of CPC and Director of Shanghai Film Bureau, and Huang Wei, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the Pudong New Area Committee of CPC, along with ambassadors Geng Le and Guo Keyu, jointly launched a new round of the Belt and Road Film Tour, marking the beginning of more Chinese films embarking on their international journeys.

In the past year, SIFF has actively promoted the “going global” of Chinese films. It has brought several outstanding films and filmmakers, including The Wandering Earth 2, I Am What I Am 2, Moon Man, and Johnny Keep Walking!, to major international film festivals in Belt and Road countries such as Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh, CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival in Hungary, and Moscow International Film Festival in Russia, among more than a dozen others. These films, with their rich themes and exquisite production, not only showcase the achievements of China’s film industry but also provide a platform for filmmakers from China and abroad to engage in exchange and collaboration.

The Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance was initiated by the Organizing Committee of SIFF and was established in 2018, currently consisting of 56 member institutions from 49 countries. Against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative, the alliance focuses on reciprocal film recommendations and filmmaker exchanges, and aims to enhance the capabilities of film curation, promote mutual understanding among filmmakers, facilitate film cooperation projects, strengthen exchanges in film culture among countries, establish a close information-sharing mechanism, and explore future development models for film festivals.

Civilization thrives through exchange and mutual learning. Since the establishment of Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance, SIFF, together with the Publicity Department of the CPC Pudong New Area Committee (District Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau), and the Administrative Committee of Shanghai International Resort, has teamed up to organize the Belt and Road Film Week, and created a mechanism with the Belt and Road Film Tour, effectively promoting two-way exchanges and mutual learning between filmmakers and film cultures along the Belt and Road route, and further enhancing cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds among countries along the route.