The opening ceremony of the FilmMart of the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival was held on Thursday in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
With the theme "Technology and Film, Charm of the SCO," the film festival, which opened on Wednesday and highlights the latest advancements in film technology and production across the member states, spans five days and features forums on international cooperation, tech exhibitions, tourism initiatives, and drone light shows.
Highlights of the film festival also include screenings of dozens of outstanding films from SCO member countries and the announcement of winners of the Jinshancha (Golden Camellia) Awards at the closing ceremony on Sunday.
The FilmMart of the film festival features a series of events including keynote speeches, a roundtable discussion on film internationalization, project roadshows for film technology, and technical presentations.
Film authorities and organizations from Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, and other countries have brought culturally distinctive film projects, scripts, and copyright resources with strong collaborative potential, seeking in-depth cooperation with China and other SCO member states.
The filmMart, as a key component of the 2025 SCO Film Festival, serves as an international platform for cinematic industry exhibition and collaboration. It aims to promote cultural exchange, industrial cooperation, and resource integration among SCO member states,so as to establishing itself as a professional, pragmatic, and open regional hub for film industry interaction.
Concurrently launched, the Film Technology Exhibition has brought together over 40 leading Chinese companies to showcase cutting-edge innovations under the "Cinema+Technology" theme.
The exhibition features breakthroughs in AI, virtual production, motion capture, and digital humans, comprehensively demonstrating China's latest advancements in film industrialization, digitalization, and intelligentization.
This year marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. The SCO Film Festival stands as a key cultural event alongside the SCO Summit, offering a powerful platform for storytelling, collaboration and mutual understanding.
FilmMart's opening ceremony of SCO Film Festival held in China's Chongqing
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday China is willing to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and advance the China-Lesotho strategic partnership.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in the capital of Lesotho.
During the meeting, Wang congratulated Lesotho on the 60th anniversary of its independence this year, and spoke highly of Lesotho government's efforts to prioritize economic development and steer the African country onto a path of sustainable growth. Since the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024, the two sides have advanced cooperation under the 10 partnership action plans unveiled at the summit, successfully implementing a number of key projects to effectively promote Lesotho's development and revitalization, Wang said.
China stands ready to work with Lesotho to strengthen exchanges on governance experience, enhance coordination in multilateral affairs, and push for greater development of the China-Lesotho strategic partnership, he added.
Calling on the two sides to firmly support each other, Wang said that China will accelerate the implementation of its zero-tariff policy for African countries, including Lesotho, expand bilateral trade, investment and industrial cooperation, facilitate broader access of Lesotho's specialty products to the Chinese market, and continue to support Lesotho's national development.
China will continue to stand firmly with African countries, uphold justice for the Global South, including Lesotho, oppose unilateralism and acts of bullying, and work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity, Wang said.
On his part, Matekane said during the meeting that Lesotho cherishes its friendship with China and the strategic partnership between the two countries, and expressed gratitude for China's valuable support for the development of African countries, including Lesotho.
Lesotho firmly adheres to the one-China principle and resolutely supports China in safeguarding its core interests, he said, noting that his country stands ready to strengthen strategic mutual trust with China, expand people-to-people exchanges, jointly implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and deepen cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, manufacturing and energy.
Matekane stressed that China's zero-tariff policy for African products will inject new impetus into Lesotho's development. He also expressed Lesotho's willingness to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China on multilateral platforms such as BRICS to jointly address global challenges.
On the same day, Wang also held talks with Lejone Mpotjoana, minister of foreign affairs and international relations of Lesotho.
China, Lesotho to strengthen exchanges, advance cooperation
China, Lesotho to strengthen exchanges, advance cooperation
