The Davis Chinese Film Festival will kick off on Sept 27 at the Modavi Center of the University of California, Davis.

This event has already been recognized by the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco as part of the Cross the Pacific-China Art Festival, marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the US, according to Xiao Xiayong, Chinese culture counselor in San Francisco.

The Davis Chinese Film Festival is co-hosted by the Confucius Institute at UC Davis, and the Davis Chinese Film Festival Foundation (DCFFF), said Wan Ning, co-chair of DCFFF, adding that the opening ceremony will also mark Global Confucius Institute Day.

"This festival's aim is to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between people of China and the US," Wan told China Daily.

"A film festival is a great example of how we can come together to learn more about cultures, see places we wouldn't see," said Joe Krovoza, former mayor of Davis, adding that he looks forward to attending the opening ceremony and hosting the Davis China-US Forum.

The opening ceremony on Sept 27 will be followed by a screening of Eat Drink Man Woman, directed by Ang Lee, a Taiwanese-born American film director, said Wan.

Other films to be shown from Sept 27 to Oct 26 include: Under the Hawthorn Tree, The Piano in a Factory, If You Are the One, Painted Skin, Caught in the Web, Chinese Zodiac, Lost in Journey, Finding Mr. Right, American Dreams in China, So Young and Au Revoir Taipei, Wan said.

To help foreign audiences understand our films better, all are bilingual with English subtitles, said Wan.

All movies were selected to represent modern China, Wan said, adding that they wanted to show American audiences the bright side of contemporary Chinese society rather than only the dark and old sides.

This event is not only free for UC Davis students, but also for all people who want to come. People can directly go to Modavi center to request a free pass, said Wan.

An important part of the festival is the China-US Film Forum. "The forum is open to anyone with an interest in film and government policies in the film industry," said Wan, adding that Krovoza and Chen Xiaomei, a professor at UC Davis, will host the forum.

zilian@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 09/03/2014 page2)