The first ever festival dedicated to sparking global conversations via contemporary Chinese cinema in the Midlands, is set to return to Leicester for a third year.
Founded by De Montfort University (DMU) Leicester, Electric Shadows 2024 will take place between 25 November and 1 December, and will present a series of action-related new and classic films at the city’s Showcase Cinema de Lux and Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre.
Continuing with the festival’s tradition of hosting a programme of cultural events in parallel, this year, DMU’s Confucius Institute is offering free Mandarin lessons, heritage performances and tai chi lessons, concluding with an industry networking event led by NGO UK-China Film Collab.
Andrea Gu, Co-Director of DMU’s Confucius Institute, said: “The DMU Confucius Institute is very honoured and proud to support the third edition of Electric Shadows: Leicester Chinese Film Festival.
“With a series of fantastic films, we hope the festival will be a bridge to help people in the East Midlands learn more about Chinese culture, the Chinese people and their lives.”
Police Story
The festival’s theme of ‘action’ for this year is in response to the British Film Institute’s ongoing national film season - Art of Action - in celebration of the artistry of real action choreography and supported by Film Hub Midlands.
Electric Shadows 2024 will kick off with Leap of Faith (2024) by Lina Yang, which is the first ever feature documentary about Chinese teenagers learning equestrianism. The four leads are all excellent young riders, who grow as they establish a strong relationship with their horse companion.
Dr Hiu Man Chan, Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries at DMU and Founding Director of UK-China Film Collab, said: “Electric Shadows is growing together with the city of Leicester. It is a true honour to transfer my research and enterprise in film diplomacy via this initiative, from the university, to its partners and to the public.
“This is a relatively new festival for the city, engaging international stakeholders as well as local communities for a proactive dialogue. Cinema is where we can potentially talk things out, after sharing a couple of hours in the dark where the magic happens.”
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
The opening of Electric Shadows 2024 will take place on 25 November with a private reception at the Director’s Lounge, at Showcase Cinema de Lux in Leicester. Other festival highlights include Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmaster and Jackie Chan’s Police Story Trilogy 4K restoration.
It will close with an exclusive festival preview of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru directed by Fang Li, a documentary about British POWs and their encounters with Chinese fishermen during WWII. This will be the very first festival screening in the UK after its recent release in its home country.
The festival continues to offer internship opportunities to students on DMU’s Arts and Festivals Management BA (Hons) and Global Arts Management (Level 6 Top Up) BA (Hons) programmes, where they can get hands-on experience as part of their studies.
Electric Shadow is an annual Chinese film festival held in Leicester, co-presented by DMU’s Confucius Institute, the School of Humanities and Performing Arts and NGO UK-China Film Collab.
Posted on Friday 22 November 2024