Shanghai Cooperation Organization film festival set to open

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film Festival 2025 will be held in Yongchuan district of Chongqing from June 23 to 27.

This marks the festival's return to China after a seven-year hiatus since the first edition in Qingdao, Shandong province, in 2018.

As this year celebrates the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, the festival aims to promote the SCO member states' civilizational values of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness through film — regarded as a universal artistic language, according to the organizers.

Mao Yu, executive deputy director-general of the China Film Administration, proposed three initiatives. The first is to encourage Chinese film distributors to acquire and import outstanding films from the festival for theatrical release or television broadcast.

He also proposed launching a project to boost exchanges among young talents from SCO member states and to provide training opportunities for aspiring young filmmakers.

The third initiative is to establish an alliance of filmmakers' associations, aimed at deepening comprehensive and multifaceted cooperation among SCO countries in the film industry to promote practical collaboration.

The festival will present a total of 12 awards, ranging from Best Feature to Best Director, with veteran filmmaker and playwright Ren Zhonglun serving as the jury president.