17/09/2013 - The Warsaw International Film Festival’s CentEast Market, which runs between October 18-20, has programmed a selection of new Chinese films and works-in-progress

A package of new Chinese films and works-in-progress will be screened at the CentEast Market during the Warsaw International Film Festival (October 11-20) – the first result of the China-Eastern Europe Film Promotion Programme, which was instigated last year by festival director Stefan Laudyn on behalf of the Warsaw Film Foundation and founder of China’s Film Factory Et Hu.

“We are still selecting Chinese works-in-progress, and some of the projects indeed look very promising,” explained Laydun. “The first app 10 European works-in-progress will be presented at next year’s Beijing Film Market during the Beijing International Film Festival between April 23-28.”

“China is generally seen as the fastest growing cinema market in the world, to become No 1 within the next ten years. We think about China in a completely different way – as about an important cultural partner,” added Laydun, who has attached Russia’s TVINDIE Productions and the film festivals in Tallinn, Sofia and Cluj to the initiative.

The new programme will channel Chinese quality films into international festivals and distribution, and introduce European cinema to Chinese audiences and the Chinese distribution cinema. Film Factory, the Chinese partner, is the country’s largest platform for independent filmmakers (who come up with an annual 750-800 new films).

This year unspooling between October 18-20, Warsaw’s CentEast Market is already collaborating with TVINDIE Productions, which repeats Warsaw’s programme of Eastern European works-in-progress at Moscow’s Red Square Screenings two days later. As usual it includes the Warsaw screenings of recent Polish fare.