The first "China Documentary Festival" global exhibition, jointly organized by China Media Group and China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, kicked off on June 21 with a launch ceremony in Beijing. During the festival, more than 50 outstanding documentaries and feature films produced by CGTN in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian, including many award-winning works, will be showcased across hundreds of media platforms around the world.

Hundreds of media executives, audience representatives, former political leaders, institutional representatives, cultural celebrities and directors of overseas Chinese cultural centers on five continents gathered online after the ceremony to meet friends and to promote communication through cooperation. They expressed high appreciation for the "China Documentary Festival" for bringing quality films reflecting the Chinese era to the world and fully affirmed the cohesiveness of the "China Documentary Festival" for gathering people from around the world, promoting communication and inspiring in-depth cooperation between media. They also said they are looking forward to the launch of the "China Documentary Festival" in the host countries.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Hu Heping said in his speech that the global screening of the "China Documentary Festival" aims to enhance mutual understanding, promote interpersonal connections and deepen friendships through imagery. The world today is full of uncertainties and challenges. Exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations have become an increasingly important driving force for the progress of human civilization and world peace and development. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will take the "China Documentary Festival" as an opportunity to continue deepening cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation with other countries to promote understanding through exchange, friendship through cooperation, and tell the Chinese story with passion to make new contributions to building a credible, warm and respectable image of China and a community with a shared future for mankind.

President of China Media Group Shen Haixiong said in his speech that having more than 50 feature films to introduce China is like a colorful kaleidoscope, sharing with a global audience the stories of ordinary Chinese people pursuing and realizing their dreams and providing a window to China through the daily lives of its 1.4 billion people. 

"I hope that video will serve as a bridge to foster closer interpersonal ties, cultural exchanges and practical cooperation, and to write a new chapter for exchanges and shared learning among civilizations," he said. "Today's world is far from peaceful. As an international media organization, China Media Group will continue to assume the mission of responsible media and strive to break down barriers and enhance mutual understanding. We will provide popular productions for different regions, countries and groups, showing China's extensive and profound civilization and long history, as well as the beautiful colors and splendor of the garden of world civilization."

At the launch ceremony, 100 guests from more than 60 countries and regions, including Germany, France, Russia, Spain, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Thailand, Laos, Mongolia, Nigeria and Tanzania, wished for the "China Documentary Festival" global exhibition to be successfully held in 18 languages. 

In their greetings, "a true three-dimensional China," "a bridge across cultures," and "a perception of the spirit of the Chinese people in the new era," were some of the most descriptive words used to convey the enthusiastic expectations of overseas people for the "China Documentary Festival" and the visual telling for Chinese stories.

Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Promotion Committee and former Vice Prime Minister of Thailand, Phinij Jarusombat, said the global screening of the "China Documentary Festival" was a grand occasion that the featured films and documentaries displayed the real lives of the Chinese people today.

Luis Chang Reyes, former Peruvian Ambassador to China, believes that the "China Documentary Festival" enhances communication between the two countries and further extends the bridge of understanding.

"Documentary is an expression of art and a window into the truest culture of a country," he said.

Director of Syrian State Television, Imad El-Din Ibrahim, believes that the global broadcast of the "China Documentary Festival" is crucial to reflecting China's national image. "It will be a platform to introduce China as a great country," he said.

Chairman of News Asia Korea and Vice Chairman of the Korea-China Friendship Association, Kwak Young-kil, fully recognized the "China Documentary Festival" role as a bridge for connecting people from all over the world. He said the festival will allow South Koreans to further understand contemporary China's development story and feel the emotion and spirit of the Chinese people in the new era.

Honorary President of the Prussian Association in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany, Volker Tschapke, pointed out that cultural communication is extremely important in the face of tensions. 

"At a time when we are in a difficult political situation, the importance of culture as a bridge and a bond is particularly evident," he said.

Chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Bernard Dewit, said the Chinese story and the power of the Chinese film industry are two important signals sent by the "China Documentary Festival" to the world." 

"(The festival) showcases the vitality and creativity of China's film and television industry," he said.

Chief Editor and host of Mauritius National Television, Thierry Ramasawmy, believes that the "China Documentary Festival" answers the grand proposition of "What is China?" from all aspects and angles, and said he is looking forward to "walking into a dreamlike and surprising picture" with his viewers.

The "China Documentary Festival" global exhibition will run until the end of 2022.