Cinema China In Edinburgh

A masterclass hosted by Asian acting star, Maggie Cheung, and the premier of Zhang Yimou's 'Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles' are among the highlights of the Cinema China programme which was unveiled at a launch event at Edinburgh's Filmhouse on 12 February.
Cinema China, starting on 9 March in Edinburgh, will be the largest Chinese festival touring 20 cities in the UK and featuring over 20 important films from 'Three Chinas'; The People's Republic, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Other highlights include:

• Eight decades of Chinese filmmaking from the silent era to the present
• Premiere screenings of new films from leading Chinese directors
• Rare prints of lost classics
• Lectures, education events and masterclasses, with some of the leading lights of Chinese Cinema.

Co-Artistic Director Mark Cousins said: "If we have one aim, it is that audiences will get to know the scale and the beauty of Chinese language film and, through it, an insight into China and its people."
Cinema China is a new partnership between The University of Edinburgh and its Confucius Institute, Filmhouse, the Scottish Executive, the Beijing Film Academy, Scottish Screen, the National Lottery and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It is screening across twenty cities in the UK making it the largest and most comprehensive festival of Chinese film.
Scottish Screen as supporters of the festival commented: "China, for so long a hidden society, is now opening the door and allowing the rest of the world a glimpse of the rich heritage of arts it has produced over the centuries. From a film point of view it will be fascinating to see the work that has been done there and how it compares with film produced in the west at the same time. Scottish Screen is delighted to support Cinema China and we hope this is the start of significant cultural exchange."
(DS/SP)