20/06/2013 - Contemporary British films, Hitchcock restorations part of programme

The British Council and the British Film Institute (BFI) have announced a new relationship with the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival (June 15-23). As part of this, several contemporary BFI Film Fund backed films including The Angel’s Share [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ken Loach
film profile], Berberian Sound Studio [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Shadow Dancer [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile] and Ginger & Rosa [+see also:
trailer
film profile] are being screened for the first time to Chinese audiences. The recent restorations of nine Alfred Hitchcock films are also being screened.

A BFI delegation led by BFI CEO Amanda Nevill and including Creative Director Heather Stewart and Head of International Isabel Davis, are attending the festival to meet Chinese counterparts. Les Miserables director Tom Hooper is the head of the festival jury and Helen Mirren will present Hitchcock where she stars as the director’s wife Alma. An UK/China exchange programme in 2014 will see the largest ever retrospective of Chinese cinema at BFI Southbank.  

Briony Hanson, Director Film, British Council, said, “It’s so exciting to be able to see such a positive UK presence in SIFF this year following on from the groundwork the British Council has been doing to build audiences and interest in British arts.”

Nevill said, “To see Chinese audiences embracing British film is thrilling and its fantastic that we are able to give what is one of the world’s most important cinema-going nations the opportunity to see both the best of British screen heritage and modern British filmmaking. I hope these are just the beginnings of an even closer collaborative relationship between the UK and China.”