China film festival kicks off in Lagos, Nigeria with three well-crafted Guangdong movies
电影《雄狮少年》参加中非电影节，非洲朋友一起舞狮
The China Film Festival kicked off in Lagos, Nigeria on the evening of August 21, local time. The event is sponsored by the China Film Administration and the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, organized by the China Film Archive and the Guangdong Provincial Film Administration, and co-organized by GDToday of the Nanfang Daily Media Group and the China Cultural Center in Nigeria.
Hu Heping, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Culture and Tourism, attended the event and announced the opening of the film festival.
A group photo of Hu Heping (fourth from the left) and other guests attending the opening ceremony
Both China and Nigeria are ancient civilizations with thousands of years of history, characterized by rich historical legacies and spectacular cultural heritages. Yan Yuqing, China’s Consul General in Lagos, pointed out, that many Nigerian friends today associate China with elements like kung fu, dragons, giant pandas, and red lanterns from Chinese films. Similarly, a lot of Chinese people learn about Nigeria through its films and become familiar with African rhythms, characteristic fried rice, the Nigeria national football team “Super Eagles”, and more.
Consul General Yan Yuqing delivers a speech.
Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture of Nigeria, mentioned that Chinese films are popular in Nigeria. Icons like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have portrayed numerous unforgettable roles, which are now household names across the country. Even today, many Nigerians remain loyal fans of Chinese films and TV dramas. The success of the Chinese film industry has undoubtedly greatly boosted China’s economic growth and national image.
Mao Yu, Deputy Director General of the China Film Administration, introduced that at present, China produces around 1,000 films annually. The country has over 14,000 cinemas with more than 80,000 screens, and the highest annual box office revenue has reached 64.2 billion RMB, making it the world’s second-largest film market. This year, the national box office has already exceeded 40 billion RMB. It is evident that Chinese cinema has embarked on a path of high-quality development and emerged as a major driving force for the global film market.
Deputy Director General Mao Yu delivers a speech.
This film festival will span four days, during which 11 well-produced Chinese films, including The Captain, Starry Road, White Snake, I Am What I Am, Lighting Up TheStars,Moon Man, and Ride On will be screened at Lagos’ cinemas. Among these masterpieces, three are from Guangdong. Cui Chaoyang, Executive Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Director General of the Guangdong Provincial Film Administration, led a Guangdong delegation to the opening ceremony.
During the opening ceremony, captivating scenes were showcased from the Cantonese opera-inspired film White Snake produced by the Zhujiang Film Group. Zhu Hongxing, the young actress who portrayed Xiaoqing, performed a sword dance on stage, and Huaxing Art Troupe Nigeria presented an impressive lion dance performance, leaving the audience in awe.
Actress Zhu Hongxing’s performance
Huaxing Art Troupe Nigeria’s lion dance performance
In the evening, guests and audience at the venue watched the opening film Cloudy Mountain. The lead actor, Huang Zhizhong, interacted with the audience and received an overwhelming response.
Lead actor Huang Zhizhong (far right) of Cloudy Mountain interacts with the audience after the screening.
This year’s film festival marks an important part of the cultural and people-to-people exchange program between China and Central Africa. It will bring the local audience an ultimate feast of Chinese film and audiovisual experiences, while also opening a window into Chinese culture and development.
Reported by GDToday journalist Chen Xiani, from Lagos, Nigeria
| 
