MINT Chinese Film Festival returns to Keswick from Feb 21st to 23rd 2025 for its third edition.
The festival will showcase over 30 Chinese and Asian films including European and British premiers.
Opening on February 21st the festival will run until the 23rd.
The festival will open at Keswick Alhambra Cinema with the European premiere of Chinatown Cha-Cha, a road trip documentary about a Chinese American senior dance group, with an on-site Q&A with director Luka Yuanyuan Yang. Followed by a retrospective screening of Green Snake (1993) by Tsui Hark, a classic Chinese fantasy film.
Other highlights include a special 25th-anniversary retrospective screening of Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000).
MINT will also move beyond Chinese films for the first time in 2025, with an ‘Asia Sparks’ section. This is focused on filmmaking from across Asia. This section includes screenings of Desert of Namibia (Yôko Yamanaka), Shahid (Narges Kalhor), Cu Li Never Cries (Pham Ngoc Lan), and Time to be Strong (Namkoong Sun).
The full details of movies being screened can be found on the MINT Chinese Film Festival website.
Beyond movies, there will be plenty for attendees to enjoy. MINT have organised Q&As, workshops, lakeside walks, and drinks. For the first time, there will be an outdoor Asian Arts & Craft Market bringing a (belated) Chinese New Year celebration to Keswick.
MINT Chinese Film Festival is a Chinese Film Festival founded by Chinese film curator Yixiang Shirley Lin and Keswick Alhambra Cinema’s co-owner Dr Carol Rennie. It focuses on cross-cultural communication of Chinese cinema in the UK, supporting Chinese creators, and representing women in films.
Yixiang Lin, co-founder and lead curator of MINT Chinese Film Festival said “I can’t believe we’re stepping into the third edition of MINT CFF in Keswick”
“I am so proud of us introducing the best Chinese cinema to local audiences in the past two years. This year, our curatorial focus expands beyond Chinese cinema to embrace a broader Asian presence, with the introduction of the ‘Asian Spark’ competition category and a new co-event-Asian Market with our friend at Hello Art.”
Carol Rennie, Co-founder of MINT Chinese Film Festival echoed Yixiang’s thoughts. She said “The town once again looks forward to welcoming a host of Chinese-speaking film buffs from across the UK to enjoy a fantastic selection of original films from the Chinese-speaking world as well as wider Asian content”.
Wenqi Zhang, Co-Curator & Marketing Manager of Mint Chinese Film Festival emphasised the non-film aspects of the festival that will be available to attendees as well as the amazing films MINT has curated for the festival. She said: “Events like the Lakeside Walk, Chinese New Year activities with the local Keswick community, onsite post-screening events, and an Asian Market in collaboration with HelloArt will offer a unique festival experience across Keswick.”
This is the third edition of MINT Chinese Film Festival in Keswick. They also organised ‘Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Mint on Tour’. The touring festival from September 8th to October 26th 2024 saw MINT screen a series of Chinese movies, documentaries, and short films across Scotland.
If you liked this article why not read: New Film Festival Brings Female-led Chinese Films to Scotland
