Chinese-Language Film Festivals Around the World

This is a topic that’s been requested before, so today I decided to put together a list of the most popular Chinese‑language movie festivals around the world. First, I’ll give you the list in chronological order as they happen throughout the year, and then I’ll talk a little bit about the most famous ones.

Even if you can’t attend these festivals in person, it’s still great to check out the nominees and winners each year to see which movies catch your interest. Just copy the name of the festival into Google or Wikipedia to find the nominees and winners. From there, you can search for the movie titles on YouTube to watch trailers and decide which films you’d like to see.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a comprehensive list, as there are many smaller festivals I didn’t include. Also, many of these festivals don’t exclusively show Chinese‑language films and they might feature movies in other languages too. But I focused on festivals that showcase mainly Chinese‑language movies or have a strong Chinese‑language presence.

This week, I also put together a movie festival vocabulary list on Quizlet, so feel free to use those cards to grow your vocabulary “islands”.

Chinese-Language Movie Festivals

Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival (PYIFF) - 平遥国际电影展 (Píngyáo Guójì Diànyǐng Zhǎn)

Held in the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi, this festival (founded by Jia Zhangke -贾樟柯) is a platform especially for new, young directors. The location and a festival has a more “indie” feel to it, and here you can watch new Chinese movies that might not be featured at bigger movie festivals in China.

And what makes this movie festival even more unique is its location. The festival is surrounded by an ancient city that gives a unique atmosphere to the event that you will not find in Beijing or Shanghai. If you can only attend one movie festival in China, I would recommend this one.

Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival - 台北金马影展 (Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐng Zhǎn)

It’s often called the “Chinese‑language Oscars” and is widely regarded as the most prestigious awards festival for Chinese‑language cinema worldwide. The festival showcases films from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the wider Chinese diaspora. If you’re looking for Chinese‑language movies beyond just Mainland China, this is definitely the best place to start.

Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) - 上海国际电影节 (Shànghǎi Guójì Diànyǐng Jié)

The Shanghai International Film Festival is one of China’s largest and most internationally recognized film festivals. Founded in 1993, it attracts filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals from all over the world. The festival features a wide range of films, from major international blockbusters to Asian cinema and independent productions, and presents the Golden Goblet Awards (金爵奖, Jīn Jué Jiǎng) for best films and performances.

Bangkok International Film Festival

It’s not mainly a Chinese‑language film festival, but I still included it on the list because this year, after staying away for 15 years, it’s making a comeback. Many Chinese‑language movies are expected to be shown, although I still couldn’t find the festival’s screening programme even though it launches in less than two weeks. According to their official promotion: “The Bangkok International Film Festival aims to become the largest film festival in Southeast Asia, both in terms of the number of films screened and the variety of activities hosted. The goal is to establish Thailand as a cinema hub in the region.” So if you’re around Bangkok, keep an eye out for this festival’s selection.