Audiences in North Macedonia embrace first Chinese film festival

Crowds filled the Cinematheque of North Macedonia in Skopje as the First Chinese Film Festival in North Macedonia opened its doors, bringing Chinese cinema to audiences across five cities from October 2 to 13.

Jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in North Macedonia and the EU-China Film Festival, the festival showcases eight contemporary Chinese features, alongside a curated selection of award-winning short films by emerging Chinese directors.

The opening ceremony drew a distinguished gathering: Minister Erdjan Demir, in charge of Roma integration, former Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hysni Ismaili, diplomatic representatives, heads of international organizations, members of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, film professionals, media representatives, sinologists, and enthusiasts of Chinese culture.

In her opening address, Chinese Ambassador to North Macedonia Jiang Xiaoyan noted that cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and North Macedonia have gathered momentum in recent years, with deepening ties between film professionals and arts education institutions on both sides.

She cited several examples of this growing exchange. Atanas Georgiev, producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary Honeyland, is now teaching at Shanghai University, while the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje has signed cooperation agreements with Chinese arts institutions. Chinese films have screened at the Manaki Brothers International Cinematographers' Film Festival and taken home awards, while the animated film from North Macedonia, John Vardar vs the Galaxy, received a Golden Silk Road Award at the 12th Silk Road International Film Festival in China.

Jiang expressed the hope that the festival's diverse programming would offer local audiences a more authentic, comprehensive and multidimensional window into China.

Yuan Mengqian, secretary-general of the EU-China Film Festival, said local audiences' enthusiasm for Chinese cinema had far exceeded expectations.

"Film can bridge differences in language and culture and forge a direct emotional connection between people," she said. "We hope this festival will serve as a starting point for bringing more Chinese films to audiences from North Macedonia and building sustained exchange and cooperation between filmmakers and institutions in both countries."

Sinologist Igor Radev advised on the film selection and provided interpretation during exchanges with audiences.

The festival has also arranged special screenings for young audiences, offering younger viewers a closer encounter with the distinctive aesthetics and imaginative world of Chinese cinema.