China Film Festival kicks off in Ethiopia to boost cultural ties

The China Film Festival was launched Friday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with more than 200 guests present at the launching ceremony.

ADDIS ABABA, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The China Film Festival was launched Friday in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with more than 200 guests present at the launching ceremony.

The event was held at Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopia's largest and oldest higher learning institution, in the presence of senior officials from Ethiopia's Ministry of Culture and Sports, AAU, and Chinese embassy in Ethiopia.

The China Film Festival, running from March 6 to 28, features eight outstanding Chinese films, with "My People My Devotion" screened at the launching ceremony, a film that tells true stories of dedication, responsibility, and service to improve people's lives and promote development across China.

Speaking at the event, Ethiopia's State Minister of Culture and Sports Nebiyou Baye said the festival provides a precious platform for Chinese and Ethiopian filmmakers to exchange expertise, co-create content, and connect with audiences in both nations.

"We highly value the longstanding friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Ethiopia and China. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges lie at the heart of our bilateral relations. By strengthening cooperation in film, television, and creative industries, we foster mutual respect, deepen friendship, and lay a solid social foundation for our broader partnership," Baye said.

Chinese ambassador to Ethiopia Chen Hai, on the occasion, said that as a vivid medium for cultural exchanges, film and television have long been an important bond, connecting the hearts of the Chinese and Ethiopian people.

"In recent years, cooperation between China and Ethiopia in the film and television sector has deepened and solidified through the mutual screening of outstanding films and the exploration and practice of joint creation," Chen said.

He said Chinese film and television works, through authentic narratives and vivid characters, convey the concept of a "Community with a Shared Future for Mankind," which resonates widely across the African continent.

Noting that China and Ethiopia have enjoyed a longstanding, comprehensive and strategic partnership in education, infrastructure, trade, and technology development, Samuel Kifle, President of the AAU, said cooperation in film-making and cultural exchanges between the two countries are also gaining momentum.

"By showcasing Chinese cinema on our campus, we create a platform for dialogue, learning, and reflection. Such cultural encounters enrich our academic environment and nurture open-minded, globally-aware citizens," he said.

This year also marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. The film festival is expected to deepen the mutual understanding and learning between the peoples of the two nations.  ■