To increase bilateral cultural exchange between Kolkata and Beijing, a Chinese film festival will be held here.
Chinese consul-general Ma Zhanwu said this is the first time that the consulate is working with the West Bengal government to work out an exchange of films and delegation of filmmakers and actors.
"We want a group of around 10 directors and actors from Tollywood to visit China in the coming months and do an exhibition of Bengali films in one of our cities like Beijing or Shanghai.
"We will select 4-5 good Bengali films which will be screened during their visit," the envoy told reporters here today.
Later this year, Bengali films will also be screened in China. Ma Zhanwu said movies from Kolkata would have a special appeal for Chinese as the city has a unique culture.
This is first time the Chinese government is organizing a film festival at the state-run multiplex Nandan for three days, starting from July 17.
Total seven films will be screened out of which two will have an Indian connect.
The first is 1981 animation film "Nine-coloured deer," based on the Buddhist Jataka tale and the other is "The Monkey King: Uproar in heaven" (1964) which also has an Indian element, the consul-general said.
Films like "Shanghai Calling," "Fleet of Time," "So Young', "Not one less" and the Oscar winning movie "The Last Emperor" will also be screened.
A group of Chinese filmmakers and actors will be flying down to the city to attend the Kolkata International Film Festival.
