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Learning and Appreciating China through Cinema: The Second Mulan Film Festival in Toronto, Festival Overview

Written by Maari Sugawara（Managing Editor） on

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The second Mulan International Film Festival was held in downtown Toronto from August 9th to August 17th. The International Film Festival is run by a not-for-profit organization, Celestial Vault Media, on a grand mission: Seeing China, one film at a time.

The festival, dedicated to showcasing Chinese-language films with cultural significance invited a list of renowned guests, including the Chinese director, Liu Miaoiao and producer and actress, NAI An.

“Mulan is dedicated to showcasing the best of Chinese-language films and historically significant films about China. During the festival, we organize exhibitions, panel discussions, seminars and conferences on topics related to cinematic arts and artists. We aim at facilitating appreciation of Chinese cinema across Canadian communities and inspiring our audience to discuss contemporary conflicts, challenges, and opportunities from a global perspective. The festival is held every August in Toronto, Ontario. We also have a Year-Round Programme.”

Mulan, a 100% run and managed by volunteers and sponsored by local Chinese businesses, is a film festival that informs Canadian audiences of the complex issues in contemporary China. The speakers and organizers, many of them international students with a connection to China, addressed important contemporary issues of gender, politics, and culture, while maintain a balance with informative films that tell stories of China’s recent past—Spring Fever in the Yin & Yang category.

https://mulanfestival.com/spring-fever/

The festival program is devided into four catagories:

  • CHINA RETROSPECTIVE 回溯中国 We always look back. It is so human. / 回望，寻找归宿
  • LILI VS. LEVIATHAN 莉莉对利维坦 What we see in women and what we know about them are yet to be settled. / 给她开放未来
  • YIN AND YANG 阴阳 Between Yin and Yang, there exists a spectrum. / 阴阳变化，四季皆宜
  • FOUNTAINHEAD 源泉 Emerging originators. / 风起于青蘋之末

Even if you’ve missed this year’s festival, be sure to keep an eye on Mulan International Film Festival, a film festival that is rasing important discussions of China’s past, present, and future.
https://mulanfestival.com/programmes/

Mulan Film Festival’s Manifesto:
We aim at facilitating appreciation of Chinese cinema across Canadian communities and inspiring our audience to discuss contemporary conflicts, challenges and opportunities from a global perspective. / 西方社会对中华文化的认知，是否还停留在“功夫”“熊猫”“茶叶”“瓷器”等概念？管窥一斑，可能是豹，也有可能是猫。近现代中国植根于古中国；不知过去，焉知现在、乃至未来？我们立足于各族裔文化交融的多伦多，力图促进现代中华文化走向世界，减少中西方对彼此的认知差异和其造成的误会与不便。