China Africa International Film Festival to open in October

A new China-Africa film festival is set to be launched in the South African city of Cape Town this October.

A photo taken on June 19, 2017 shows a press conference on China-Africa International Film Festival. [China Plus/Xu Fei]

It's hoped the new festival will encourage cooperation in the film sector, and make Chinese and African films more available in one-another's regions.

China Radio International, the Beijing Film Academy, Global Max Media Group and the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival are co-sponsoring the upcoming event.

With its headquarters based in Gaborone, Botswana, Global Max Media Group is the largest Chinese media group in Africa.

Miles Nan, president of the group, says preparation work is now underway.

"In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, the first China-Africa International Film Festival is also going to include screenings of excellent Chinese and African films, as well as roundtable discussions between Chinese filmmakers and their African counterparts, a Sino-Africa film cooperation forum and an African films' development forum. In addition to South Africa, screenings will also take place in several African countries."

During the film festival, local South African filmmaking organizations will organise activities dedicated to showcasing the marketing potential of international films in Cape Town.

Jehad Kasu is a representative of the Cape Town International Film Market and Festival.

"This is an exciting development since this effort to introduce Chinese cinemas to South Africa and vice versa not only supports current relations, but also the recent people-to-people exchange mechanism that was ceremonially introduced between South African ministry of arts and culture and its Chinese counterpart."

As of now, local film authorities in Egypt, Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa have signed-on with the film festival's organizing committee to pool their efforts.

Ahead of the October event, shooting is underway on a new film entitled "When Africa meets Chanel," which is being produced by Chinese film makers.

It's expected to screen at the opening of the event.

The first-ever China-Africa International Film Festival is set to open on October 12th, and will run for 10-days.