On November 26, the China Film Festival opened in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. Over 200 attendees, including the Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin, Deputy Director of the China Film Archive Xue Ning, and Vice President of the University of Zagreb Pavicic, participated in the opening ceremony and watched the opening film Moon Man. With strong support from the China Film Administration and the Chinese Embassy in Croatia, the festival is co-organized by the China Film Archive and the Confucius Institute at the University of Zagreb.

In his opening speech, Qi Qianjin highlighted the global appeal of Chinese cultural products, which have been warmly embraced by international audiences, including those in Croatia. He cited examples such as the widely popular TikTok platform and the online game Black Myth: Wukong, both of which have amassed significant global user bases. He also noted the success of Chinese author Liu Cixin's science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem, which has become a bestseller in Croatia. This year's China Film Festival, he emphasized, offers the Croatian public a fresh opportunity to explore and appreciate the richness of Chinese culture.

According to Xue Ning, since Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries was launched in 2012, the two sides have witnessed ever-stronger friendship, with cultural exchanges becoming increasingly rich and diverse, particularly those centred around the cinema. The 11 films showcased at this year’s festival convey China’s profound reflections on humanity’s shared destiny while highlighting the artistic innovation and technological advancements of Chinese cinema. She expressed the hope that the China Film Festival and more collaborative film projects would help forge even closer cultural bonds.

“The films showcased in this event are rarely seen in European cinemas. They offer a gateway into China,” said Pavicic.

The festival, running through February 2025, features 11 exceptional Chinese films, including Ride On, Lost in the Stars, Endless Journey, and the 4K restored version of Project A.