The “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival” has opened in Macau, presenting nearly 30 films themed “Transcending Boundaries”, according to a Friday statement by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).
The event is integrated into the 7th “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and will run through December 5. The statement said the festival will also feature outreach activities such as community screenings, post-screening talks and workshops.
The opening ceremony, with the Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) as its partner, was held on Friday at Galaxy Cinemas. It was attended by officials including Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and IC Vice President Cheang Kai Meng. The festival kicked off with a screening of the Chinese comedy “Green Wave”, the statement said.
The statement noted that this year’s festival is divided into five sections: “The Key East Asian Filmmaker: Zhang Lü”, “Cross-cultural, Cross-regional”, “Premiere of Chinese and Lusophone Films”, “Chinese-Portuguese Short Films” and “Community Screening”. The selection aims to showcase cultural landscapes and stories from China, Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs), Japan, and South Korea, according to the statement.
To further explore the theme of transcending boundaries, the statement highlighted several featured works. These include Portuguese director Cláudia Varejão’s documentary “Ama-San” about Japanese female divers, and Japanese director Ryo Takeuchi’s “The Yangtze River”.
The statement also confirmed that several members of film creative teams, including director Zhang Lü and Hong Kong lyricist Siu Hak, are set to interact with audiences. A post-screening discussion with director António Ferreira and producer Tathiani Sacilotto will follow the closing film “The Scent of Things Remembered”.
In a move to integrate arts into the community, the statement announced a free outdoor screening of the Chinese animated film “Deep Sea” on Saturday at the Dr. Carlos d’ Assumpção Park in Nape. The event will also feature a body painting activity.
The statement added that various ticket discounts are available. These include a “buy-one-get-one-free” offer for holders of tickets or receipts from other “Encounter in Macao” festival events, and a 20 percent discount for teachers, volunteers associated with the National Games, and Tap Siac Craft Market vendors.
Tickets for the Film Festival are now available at the Cinematheque•Passion and online. The public can visit the festival’s official website https://www.icm.gov.mo/FCP/2025/cn/ for more information.
This undated handout photo recently provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) shows officiating guests and representatives posing during the opening ceremony of the “7th China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival” at Galaxy Cinemas in Cotai last Friday.
