SCO Film Festival facilitates more cultural exchange, film cooperation opportunities

The ongoing 2025 SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Film Festival, held in southwest China's Chongqing City, is creating new avenues for cultural exchange among SCO nations, unleashing fresh opportunities for cinematic cooperation.

The five-day film festival, which opened on Wednesday, is held to celebrate the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. It also marks the first international cinematic exchange platform under the SCO framework, focusing on film and technology.

The festival screens 28 outstanding films from SCO member states. It presents 10 Jinshancha (Golden Camellia) Awards, selected from 20 entries submitted by 10 SCO members, with the winners to be announced at the closing ceremony on Sunday.

For many directors attending the festival, the opportunity to showcase their works in China, a massive film market, is a source of great anticipation.

"I have attended many international film festivals, but I have never seen one of this scale. I am the director of the film The Three of Us, a romantic comedy shot in the Ural Mountains. Of course, I am truly honored to have the opportunity to screen this film in China," said Aleksandra Sarana, a Russian film director.

The SCO Film Festival also features key events, including forums on the film market and cooperation, which promote cultural exchange and industry collaboration among global film professionals.

"For us, this is a tremendous opportunity to connect, share experiences and gain new experiences and knowledge," said Alesya Rulkova, Executive Director of the Minsk International Film Festival "Listapad."

"We all know how challenging it is to enter the Chinese market, but if successful, it would be a tremendous boost to the image of both the country and the film itself," said Akzholtoi Bekbolotov, Director of the Tolomush Okeev Kyrgyzfilm Film Studio.

Additionally, aligning with recent trends such as "travel inspired by films" and "culinary journeys through cinema," the host city of Chongqing will organize various parallel events during the festival to boost consumption, including film-themed consumer promotion activities, summer film showcases, cinematic tourism campaigns, and drone shows.

"Through this marketplace, we hope to integrate cultural, commercial, tourism, and sports resources across the entire event," said Hu Yue, chief planner of a film technology exhibition and a consumption carnival during the festival.

SCO Film Festival facilitates more cultural exchange, film cooperation opportunities

Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.

"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.

The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.

"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.

"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.

To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.

"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.

"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.

"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.

Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration