SHANGHAI – A five-day long Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) FilmFestival kicked off on Wednesday night with stunning performances in frontof a packed audience at a local concert hall in Qingdao, east ChinasShandong province.
The festival, co-hosted by the State Film Administration and Shandongprovincial government aims to promote cooperation and exchanges between themember states.
The festival, first of its kind, will screen around 55 movies from SCOcountries including five Pakistani films, with more than 200 delegates fromeight SCO states in attendance.
Executive vice Minister Publicity Department of CPC Central Committee andHead of State Film Administration of China welcoming the delegations frommember countries and observer states during the opening ceremony andwelcoming banquet.
Terming the festival as an important cultural event, he said it wouldenhance people to people contacts between the SCO member states and helpbuild a community of shared future of mankind. He informed that China, oneof the largest film industries with 55,000 cinema screens, is producingmore than 700 films annually and said his country is willing to share itsexpertise with the film industries of SCO countries.
Pakistan movies to be screened during the film festival include Jawani PhirNahi Ani, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, Parchi, Bin Roye and Chalay Thay Saath.
Kung Fu giant Jackie Chan has been named as the festival’s promotionalambassador and filmmaker Han Sanping will head the jury panel.
CEO of Hum TV Channel, Ms. Sultana Siddiqui is representing as a jurymember, while the Pakistani delegation is led by Director ExternalPublicity Wing, Ms. Ambreen Jan. Pakistan Ambassador to China, MasoodKhalid and Vice Secretary General of SCO, Vladimir Potapenko were presentduring the opening ceremony.
The movies, all brought by the SCO member states, will allow spectators tofeast their eyes and experience different cultures. The festival organizerwill play the movies for over 260 times on 23 screens of nine cinemas inQingdao.
The SCO Film Festival is the first international film event being held inQingdao after the place was named City of Film by the UNESCO. The festivalwill present characteristics and charm of the coastal city. The SCO nowincludes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,India and Pakistan as full members.–APP