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Canada China International Film Festival (CCIFF)

Location	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Founded	2016
Awards	Best Director, Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Short Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, etc.
Hosted by	Canada China Art-Tech and mDreams Pictures
No. of films	85
Language	English, French, Chinese
Website	www.cciff.ca

The Canada China International Film Festival (CCIFF) (French: Festival international du film Canada Chine, Chinese: 中加国际电影节) is an annual film festival held primarily in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The film festival is hosted by Canada China Art-Tech (CCAT), a non-profit organization, and is coordinated by mDreams Pictures Inc. CCIFF promotes the exchange between the Chinese and Canadian film culture, fosters cooperation, and encourages communication between artists and filmmakers. The festival is a platform for innovation and creation by showcasing the latest entertainment technology.

CCIFF is officially acknowledged and supported by the following authorities: China Film Administration (previously as State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of The People's Republic of China); Telefilm Canada; China Film Producers’ Association; China Film Group Corporation; China Film Archive; Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada; Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Montreal; City Hall of Montreal; National Film Board of Canada; SODEC (Société de Développement des Entreprises Culturelles); QFTC (The Quebec Film and Television Council); Concordia University, Shanghai International Film Festival Committee; Beijing International Film Festival Committee; Beijing Normal University Documentary Center; Chinese Culture Translation and Studies Support, and others.

The festival is run by Canada China Art-Tech (CCAT), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and understanding cultural differences in the film industry between Canada and China. CCAT stimulates cultural dialogue between the two nations by connecting stakeholders in the fields of art, technology and digital interactive media to provide them with opportunities for collaboration abroad. CCAT works in film, television, virtual reality, augmented reality, digital content and new media entertainment.

Events

Seven sections are included in the festival every year: the Opening Ceremony, Film Screening and Competition, Women's Voice in Film and Television, Entertainment Technology Summit & B2B, Master Class, Academic Seminar, and the Gala and Awards Ceremony.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Canada China International Film festival is held in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Around 100 audiences and guests, including government officials, celebrities, directors and filmmakers from both Canada and China, attend the opening ceremony annually.

Film screenings

In-person film screening are held for 3 consecutive days during the film festival in locations around Montreal including Cineplex, BanQ, Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinema Moderne, Cinema du Parc and Musee du Beaux Arts. Online film screenings are held for one month on the Smart Cinema platform. The festival screens 40 remarkable films with various genres of films and television shows including features, documentaries, short films and animated films.

Competition

The film competition section is one of the core programs of CCIFF. The Jury selects around 40 films in the Screening section from more than 100 submissions. About 30 films are selected to enter the final round of competition. The jury then determines 26 award winners at the final round as well as 4 TV awards.

Entertainment technology summit and B2B

The Entertainment Technology Forum is an important platform for technology exchanges and academic discussion in the film festival. The guests include executives and leaders from Cirque du Soleil, Disney, IBM, and Google. Like, Nasim Sedaghat (IBM Product Manager), Jacques Méthé (Chairman of Cirque du Soleil), Rajesh Sharma (Technical Director of Disney Animation Studios), and Paul Debevec (Senior Researcher from Google), etc.

History

In 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited China on September 2. He wanted to make a stronger and more stable long-term relationship with China. Bardish Chagger announced new tourism initiatives. In 2016, CCIFF held several events in the special section to celebrate the China-Canada year of People-To-People and Culture Exchanges, including a summit forum on audiovisual exchanges and communication, a master class, and an industry tour.

In 2017, CCIFF added TV Drama section to the Film Screening section. This year CCIFF celebrates Canada's 150th anniversary, Montreal's 375th anniversary, and the 70th anniversary of People's Liberation Army of China. A script competition is also included in the Canada China Co-production Project Pitch.

From September 22–26, 2018, the 3rd CCIFF was held by Canada China Art-Tech and mDreams Pictures in Montreal, Quebec. The festival attracted more people thanks to the year of Canada-China tourism in 2018. The aim of the international film festival is to promote the cultural exchanges between China and Canada, cooperation and communication are also want to be developed and encouraged by both countries. In addition, the newest innovations in entertainment technology will be shown by forum and technology exhibition.

The year 2019 was the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. On this occasion, the Canada China International Film Festival kicked off its 4th edition with the opening film "Enter the Forbidden City", directed by Mei Hu as well as other excellent Chinese world premieres during its screening program.

In 2020, the 5th CCIFF was adjusted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was divided into two parts: The Entertainment Technology Summit and the Online Film Screening. From September 18 to December 18, 2020, three forum activities were successfully held online. The screening component was held from April 1 to 30, 2021 where a total of 10 films from China, Canada and the United States were screened.

In 2021, the opening cocktail reception for the 6th edition of the CCIFF kicked off at McCord Museum. CCIFF has been adjusted to a hybrid format consisting of offline and online events due to health and safety-related mandates brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, events were held offline and online throughout the festival, from October 2, 2021, to November 30, 2021. In addition, the screening month was held from October 22 to November 30, 2021, where a total of 23 films from China, Canada and the United States were shown.

Awards

Media coverage

The Canada China International Film Festival (CCIFF) has been featured in many national and international news outlets such as MTL Blog, The Montreal Times Newswire, The Hollywood Reporter, Global News,Timeout Market, CBC Radio, Radio Canada, and Cult MTL.

References

1. "CCAT – HomePage". ccat.cloud. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
2. "mDreams". cciff.ca. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
3. "CCAT – HomePage". ccat.cloud. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
4. "首届中加国际电影节9月蒙特利尔开幕 设老电影回顾-新华网". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
5. "News conference – Canada-China International Film Festival launches in Montreal". www.newswire.com. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
6. "Prime Minister concludes successful first official visit to China". Prime Minister of Canada. September 6, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
7. Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (September 2, 2016). "2018 Will Be the Year of Canada-China Tourism". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved July 15, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
8. "China-Canada culture exchange year begins – Culture – Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
9. "中加国际电影节落幕 中外精英电影人齐聚". ent.sina.com.cn. September 26, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
10. Panda, Ankit. "A Modern, Advanced People's Liberation Army: First Takeaways From the 70th Anniversary Parade". thediplomat.com. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
11. "借科技合作交流东风 第二届中加国际电影节启动". xhgj.api.zhongguowangshi.com (in Chinese). Retrieved June 22, 2017.
12. "Canada: 2018 will be the year of CanadaChina tourism". Mena Report.
13. "丁柳元演年代虐恋 中加国际影节获最佳女主角 -搜狐娱乐". yule.sohu.com. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
14. Demers, Herve. "Hervé Demers | The Name You Carry". hervedemers.com. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
15. "《七十七天》亮相中加电影节 江一燕获最佳女主角 -搜狐娱乐". yule.sohu.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
16. Gabi Sandler (September 30, 2021). "9 Things To Do Around Montreal This Weekend To Have Fun While The Weather's Still Bearable". MTL Blog. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
17. Times, Montreal (October 25, 2021). "Jimmy Chan delivers wake-up call with new documentary "Saving Chinatown"". Mtltimes.ca. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
18. Festival, SIFA. "Canada's new and unique Social Impact Film and Art Festival aims to highlight the impact of film and art on society". www.newswire.ca. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
19. Sun, Rebecca (September 9, 2019). "Rep Sheet Roundup: CAA China Signs Matt William Knowles". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
20. "Canada China International Film Festival | Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
21. "20 best things to do in Montreal this weekend: November 26 to 28, 2021". Time Out Montreal. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
22. "Saving Chinatown".
23. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Arts-. "[Reportage] Unir ses forces pour sauver le quartier chinois de Montréal". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved July 13, 2022.
24. "Canada China International Film Festival presents Mr.Mergler's Gift and Bootlegger as part of National Canadian Film Day". Cult MTL. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

External links

• Official website
• CCIFF at IMDb

• Chinese-Canadian culture in Montreal
• Film festivals in Montreal
• Chinese Canadian organizations