Welcome to the Filming East Festival!

Sponsored by Screen South and Bank of China, Filming East Festival 2009 celebrates the 3rd year of Chinese film exhibitions in the UK. Renowned for its high quality screening selections and outstanding industry and academic events, FEF has long been recognised as a symbol of excellence in Chinese cinema.  

During the past three years, FEF is not only growing in size but also developing into a year-round presence which is leading the way in Chinese film exhibitions and international cooperation programmes, including this year's BAFTA Global Weekend. FEF is already recognised as the largest Chinese film festival in the UK, benefiting more than 2,000 people directly or indirectly. In 2007 and 2008, the festival was covered by more than 30 media from around the world.

In 2007, more than 100 films were submitted to the festival, with over 30 selected entries being screened in London, Oxford, Essex and other Counties. In November 2008, our London event launched at Covent Garden Odeon Cinema with Chinese blockbusters, including: The Warlords by Peter Chan, staring Jet Li; and Feng Xiaogang’s international release duo, the epic war film Assembly and Banquet starring Zhang Ziyi. In addition to screenings, academic panel sessions and workshops were hosted in London and Oxford with industry experts.

We’ll also be running our successful One Minute Award competition for the second year in a row. In 2007, the competition received over 200 entries. The Top 10 were screened on BBC Big Screens nationwide.

Our events will recognise the importance of Chinese film talent within the global film industry and aim to connect the UK and Chinese industries. Feature and short film screenings of some of
the best new work from China will complement a production forum which will bring together UK and Chinese film talent to exchange creative ideas and working practices and to establish relationships for potential collaborations.

FEF is a highlight of the industry calendar and is an important opportunity for UK cinema-goers
to explore film from China. They are also a chance for Chinese filmmakers to connect with practitioners in an increasingly global film industry. We also hope to tour some of the films and content from the week to venues across the UK.