The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival’s Belt and Road Film Week wrapped up with cultural tours, film screenings, and an awards ceremony. Highlights of the event included the Belt and Road Lifestyle Market and the “Travel with Films” activities. Filmmakers from countries such as Mexico, Hungary, and Germany visited cultural and tourist sites like Xinchang Ancient Town, Bicester Village Shanghai, and the Pudong Art Museum.
Xinchang Ancient Town, known as one of the filming locations for Ang Lee’s acclaimed film Lust, Caution, offered visitors experiences such as Suzhou-style pingtan opera, Chinese tea and pastries, introductions to traditional Chinese medicine, and DIY herbal sachet-making. Participants expressed admiration for Chinese culture. Mexican director Urzula Barba Hopfner praised the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese society, while German director Julia Roesler said she was impressed by the contrast between Chinese and Western medical traditions.
On the final evening, a gala event was held at the Pudong Art Museum. The film week featured 15 films from Belt and Road partner countries, with over 2,000 audience members voting for their favorites. Traffic (a co-production by Romania, Belgium, and the Netherlands) and China’s The Shore of Life received the Audience Commendation honor, while Mexico’s Corina won the Audience Choice Award. Corina was also selected as one of CGTN’s Picks.