Ethiopia to host first China-Ethiopia film, TV festival

Zhang Yawei (3rd L), cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, speaks at a media briefing on China-Ethiopia Film and TV Festival in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Dec. 6, 2024. The inaugural China-Ethiopia Film and TV Festival is set to be held in Addis Ababa, scheduled between Dec. 20 and 23, with a primary goal of promoting cooperation among BRICS member states in film-making and cultural exchanges. (Xinhua/Liu Fangqiang)

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The inaugural China-Ethiopia Film and TV Festival is set to be held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, scheduled between Dec. 20 and 23, with a primary goal of promoting cooperation among BRICS member states in film-making and cultural exchanges.

Speaking at a media briefing in Addis Ababa on Friday, Zhang Yawei, cultural counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, said the festival will serve as one of the tools to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries via their films and TV shows.

"The film and television festival will help the two countries promote cultural exchanges and lay a good foundation for future cooperation in the film and television industries," said Zhang, noting that the two countries have profound and splendid cultural heritages to share.

Ethiopian State Minister of Culture and Sports Nafisa Al-Mahdi said the event will have a significant role in strengthening people-to-people cooperation and producing talented local filmmakers.

"The festival will help share experience between the Ethiopian and Chinese filmmakers and promote films and TV shows that will be well-suited to the audiences of both countries," she said.

Zewdu Lingerh, representative of Yegof Entertainment, one of the organizers of the event, said the festival will celebrate the best Chinese and Ethiopian films and bring together well-known filmmakers, artists, actors, and directors from both countries.

Lingerh drew similarities among films of BRICS countries in their unique storytelling, diversity, originality, and authenticity, which, in his words, Ethiopian filmmakers should work on.

"It is very important to integrate Ethiopia's film industry into the Chinese film industry to produce audience-centered films and TV shows," said Lingerh, appreciating the Chinese cinema industry for its originality and authenticity.

He said the festival will not only serve as a tool to promote cultural exchanges between Ethiopia and China and among BRICS member states through cinema diplomacy and arts, but also help scale up the existing economic and political partnerships between Ethiopia, China, and other BRICS member states.

BRICS is an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, five major emerging markets with considerable economic potential that founded the BRICS group. It has now evolved into an influential international cooperation mechanism with an expanded membership.