The UK’s first female-organised Chinese film festival is set to be held in a Lake District cinema for a second year running.
Keswick Alhambra Cinema will host Mint Chinese Film Festival on Thursday February 1 to Sunday February 4 this year, after over 1,000 people attended last year’s festival.
The event is run by the cinema’s co-owner Carol Rennie and London-based film curator Yixiang Shirley Lin and aims to celebrate cross-cultural communication and female representation in Chinese cinema.
Over the three day festival, feature films and short films will be screened alongside a festival gala, a panel featuring film experts and a workshop led by female artists and curators followed by an afterparty event.
Additional cultural events and outdoor activities including a guided walk are also being planned for the wider town to give revellers a chance to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.
Dr Rennie, who has a PhD in Chinese literature and 15 years of experience in UK and China academic networking, said she was thrilled to see the event returning to the town.
She added: “It’s wonderful to be bringing a window into Chinese culture to Keswick, and to be showcasing the beautiful Lake District to the Chinese attendees from up and down the country.
“We are so delighted the Festival will be coming back to Keswick in 2024. We are also planning some craft activities with the young people of the town, who will be staging a procession to the cinema to welcome the Chinese festival attendees, helping them celebrate the coming the Year of the Dragon.”
Dr Rennie and Yixiang officially registered Mint as a Community Interested Company in July 2023 following the success of the first event.
The festival is also offering the Active Audience Award bursary again for its second year – which aims to help students wishing to attend with travel and accommodation costs.
Alongside the award, a Young Film Selectors Scheme is also being held again in collaboration with film departments at the University of Edinburgh, Southhampton and Leeds to showcase student short films.
Organisers are also introducing the MINT Emerging Critics Scheme, which invites young film critics from different countries and backgrounds to review films for the festival.
Competitions are also running for best feature, best short film, jury prize feature, jury prize short and an audience choice award. The festival’s committee has so far received 400 entries in total from across the globe.
Entries are still being welcomed by global creators of Chinese films and the competitions are open to emerging filmmakers and experience filmmakers alike.
Yixiang said: “We’ve been working with a team of young women with diverse backgrounds and enthusiastic festival volunteers remotely since September to prepare the delivery of 2024 MINT CFF.
“We are very excited to bring the world premiere of our new creative programme, Xi Xiang Ji 西厢记 plus a live music performance (Romance of the Western Chamber), at the festival gala in the Keswick Alhambra Cinema this year.
“Apart from the exciting special film programmes, we ambitiously added a new feature competition section to introduce the diversity of Chinese cinema and to arouse new thinking and discussions on cultural and gender identities through films.
“We hope all festival-goers can enjoy the exciting film programmes, events, screenings and activities with the Chinese New Year atmosphere in Keswick town!”
Films being screened include UK premieres, Cannes award-winners, pinnacles of Chinese film history and more covering a range of themes from experienced and emerging filmmakers.
Further details on films being screened and details on entering the competitions can be found on Mint’s website by clicking here, www.unicornscreening.com
Full festival tickets start at £65 and discounts are available.
