China and Ireland hope to boost movie industry collaboration

The first-ever China Ireland International Film Festival has kicked off in Dublin, where movie-lovers are celebrating some of the best filmmakers and productions China has to offer.

The festival, which is part of a series of events marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Irish diplomatic relations, aims to bring Chinese films to Irish cinemagoers and act as a platform for industry exchanges and discussions between the two countries. Organizers of the festival hope it will promote connections between Chinese film professionals and those in Ireland, leading to in-depth exchanges on multi-faceted cooperation in the future. They said the event was driven by the Belt and Road Initiative and seeks to facilitate cultural communication between China and Ireland and open a new chapter of Sino-Irish cultural exchange.

During the festival's opening ceremony at Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin, He Xiangdong, China's ambassador to Ireland, said the event will play an important role in enhancing people-to-people relations and film industry cooperation.

The festival opened with the 2015 historical documentary Mr Deng Goes to Washington, which was followed by a question and answer session with director Fu Hongxing.

Films were screened in three Dublin cinemas and included dramas, documentaries, animation, and short films.