Film festival will spotlight China's bright side

"Eat Drink Man Woman" directed by Ang Lee, will be shown after the Davis Chinese Film Festival opening ceremony at Mondavi Center of University of California, Davis in Davis, California on Sept 27. Provided to China Daily

The Davis Chinese Film Festival will kick off on Sept 27 at the Modavi Center of the University of California, Davis.

This event has already been recognized by the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco as part of the Cross the Pacific-China Art Festival, marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the US, according to Xiao Xiayong, Chinese culture counselor in San Francisco.

The Davis Chinese Film Festival is co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at UC Davis, and the Davis Chinese Film Festival Foundation (DCFFF), said Wan Ning, co-chair of DCFFF, adding that the opening ceremony will also mark Global Confucius Institute Day.

"This festival's aimis to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people of China and the US," Wan told China Daily.

"A film festival is a great example of how we can come together to learn more about cultures, see places we wouldn't see," said Joe Krovoza, former mayor of Davis, adding that he looks forward to attending the opening ceremony and hosting the Davis China-US Forum.

The opening ceremony on Sept 27 will be followed by a screening of Eat Drink Man Woman, directed by Ang Lee, a Taiwan-born American film director, said Wan.

Other films to be shown from Sept 27 to Oct 26 include: Under the Hawthorn Tree, The Piano in a Factory, If You Are the One, Painted Skin, Caught in the Web, Chinese Zodiac, Lost in Journey, Finding Mr. Right, American Dreams in China, So Young and Au Revoir Taipei, according to Wan.

To help foreign audiences understand our films better, all are bilingual with English subtitles, said Wan.

All movies were selected to represent modern China, Wan said, adding that they wanted to show American audiences the bright side of contemporary Chinese society rather than only the dark and old sides.

This event is not only free for UC Davis students, but also for all people who want to come. People can directly go to Modavi center to request afree pass, said Wan.

An important part of the festival is the China-US Film Forum. "The forum is open to anyone with an interest in film and government policies in the film industry," said Wan, adding that Krovoza and Chen Xiaomei, a professor at UC Davis, will host the forum.

All movie DVDs will be provided to the Davis Library and Sacramento City Library. Wan said the University of San Francisco had already contacted the masking to show these films on their campus.

Davis Chinese Film Festival Foundation is a registered non-profit organization in Davis, California. Their mission is to promote Chinese Art and culture through film festival, to organize the Davis Chinese Film Festival, to develop friendship, facilitate mutual understanding and enhance cultural awareness between peoples of US and China.