Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), and co-organised by the Galaxy Entertainment Group, the “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, integrated in the 6^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, will be held from 22 November to 13 December. Themed “Creating an Interesting Contrast”, this year’s Film Festival is held for an extended period of three weeks for the first time, presenting nearly 30 film productions from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, as well as outreach activities such as outdoor screenings, post-screening seminars and workshops.

This edition of the Film Festival features five sections, namely “Dual Screening Delight I.—Director in Focus: Guan Hu X Miguel Gomes”, “Dual Screening Delight II.—A Tale of Two Cities”, “Premiere of Chinese and Lusophone Films”, “Chinese-Portuguese Short Films”, and “Outdoor Screening—New Visual Forces in Macau”, presenting nearly 30 films, animations and short films from China (including Macao) and the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. New releases and selected works by renowned directors will be screened, creating a series of heartfelt, fantastical and interesting dialogue and exchange. This edition of the Film Festival will kick off with the Chinese comedy sci-fi film Escape from the 21^st Century, which will be screened at Galaxy Cinemas, Galaxy Macau™ on 22 November. Featuring actors Zhang Ruoyun and Zhong Chuxi from Mainland China, this fantastic film combines the 2D animation style with scenic depictions of urban and rural China, giving audiences a glimpse into the vibrant creativity of the new generation of Chinese filmmakers. The closing film will be the highly anticipated masterpiece of this year’s Portuguese-speaking film industry, Grand Tour, the latest work directed by Miguel Gomes, which won the “Best Director Award” at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

The “Outdoor Screening—New Visual Forces in Macau” will be held on 7 December in the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards,  featuring four short films from this year’s “Local View Power”, allowing participants to experience how local filmmakers use film to portray various aspects of Macao. The works include Hand Hand by Jarvis Xin, Girl with Amen by Teng Kun Hou, Before the Downpour by Mak Man Teng, and the animated short film Inheritance by Josie Ip.

During the Film Festival, various outreach activities will be held, including the Kidz Fun: Parent-child Experience Session at Galaxy Cinemas, which is jointly organised by Galaxy Macau™. Children and parents can engage in different tasks of Galaxy Cinemas, such as ticket sales, snack sales, ticket checking, ushering film screening, in which they can learn about the operation of the cinema and experience the fun of films from different perspectives. They will also spend a wonderful time with families at the Edutainment Center of Galaxy Macao. In addition to a series of post-screening seminars and lectures, the Cinematheque・Passion will host the Portuguese Tile Painting Workshop, in which a professional instructor will introduce the historical background of traditional Portuguese tile art, guide participants to appreciate different tile artworks, teach painting techniques and guide them to complete their works in a simplified process.

In order to promote cinematographic culture, this edition of the Film Festival will launch a special promotion “Cinematheque・Passion” X “Galaxy Cinemas”. During the promotion period, spectators can purchase one discounted film ticket at the box office of another cinema by presenting their physical ticket bought from the one of the abovementioned cinemas.

Tickets for the Film Festival will be on sale from 1 November at the Cinematheque・Passion and are also available for sale online. The ticket office is open daily from 10am to 11:30pm, including on public holidays, but is closed on Mondays. Registration for outreach activities will be available from 12pm on 8 November. Registration for outdoor screenings and the Kidz Fun: Parent-child Experience Session at Galaxy Cinemas can be made through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account. If the number of registrants exceeds the maximum number of seats, selection will be made by a random draw. Registration for seminars, lectures and the “Portuguese Tile Painting Workshop” will be available on the Cinematheque・Passion website. Seats are limited, and distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the event and discounts, please visit the “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” website at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP and the Cinematheque・Passion website at www.cinematheque-passion.mo. For enquiries, please contact IC through tel. no. 8399 6280 during office hours.