On the evening of October 3rd, the film “Wondering About” made its debut at the São Paulo Cultural Center, kicking off the 9th São Paulo Chinese Film Festival.

Co-organized by the Confucius Institute at São Paulo State University and São Paulo’s Cultural Department, this year’s festival is themed “The Recently Distant,” featuring an impressive lineup of 14 films. Among them are “Life,” “Waiting Alone,” “China’s High-Speed Rail Adventure,” “Ordinary Men and Women,” “The Legend of the White Snake: Love,” and “Boonie Bears: The Big Freeze.”

In his opening comments, Yú Péng, the Consul General of China in São Paulo, emphasized that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Brazil. He expressed a desire for the two nations to “leverage film as a means” to enhance cultural and artistic exchanges.

Curator Shí Wénxuán revealed that the festival has teamed up with the Beijing International Film Festival to introduce a special section titled “Temple of Heaven Cinematics,” which includes films such as “Chasing the Moon” and “Back to Tibet.”

Zeng Xiangyong, Vice President of Hubei University and a partner with the Confucius Institute, highlighted the diversity of topics that the featured films explore, including social development, family dynamics, and traditional culture. Gimalhans, Vice President of São Paulo State University, described Chinese films with Portuguese subtitles as a “valuable cultural treasure.”

Paulino, the Brazilian Director of the Confucius Institute, pointed out that this film festival has become a cornerstone of Chinese cultural exchange in São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil.

Dai Jinhua, a professor at Peking University who will be delivering a lecture on Chinese film appreciation during the festival, stated that when it comes to cultural exchange, “film is the best gift.”

Olivia, CEO of the São Paulo Film Commission, underscored that “this exchange of light and shadow is multidimensional.”

This year’s festival also features a new “Chinese+” short film section and has expanded offline screenings to other cities, including Manaus. In addition to expert lectures and interviews with creators, an online Q&A session with filmmakers and a roundtable forum will be held in mid-November.