Chinese Film Week aims to boost cultural links, cooperation between China, Serbia

BELGRADE - A Chinese Film Week kicked off Thursday in Serbia's capital Belgrade, seeking to boost cultural links and cooperation among filmmakers in the two countries.

The weeklong event will be held in the Yugoslav Film Archive, the Fountain Cinema in Belgrade and the Cultural Center of Novi Sad from Thursday to next Wednesday.

A total of six latest Chinese films, including To The Fore, Xuan Zang, and The Monkey King 2, are to be screened during the period.

The films touched upon various themes from ancient Chinese legends, folk arts, young people's dreams and adventures, to adaptations of Chinese literary classics. They covered a wide range of genres, including action, comedy, fantasy and documentary.

The Chinese Film Week is hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Serbia, China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and the Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information, in partnership with China Radio International (CRI) and some leading Serbian cultural institutions.

More than 200 delegates from both countries attended the opening ceremony of the event on Thursday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, CRI Director-General Wang Gengnian expressed the hope the Chinese Film Week could serve as a bridge linking China and Serbia, and boost the exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Serbian filmmakers.

Sasa Mirkovic, Secretary of State for the Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information, said the Chinese Film Week will not only promote the development of film industries in both countries, but also help the Serbian people better understand Chinese history and culture.

He added that Serbia has held many Chinese film events in the past decade and hosting such activities has become a tradition in his country.