The 2023 Alula Film Festival Returns to Cinema in Los Angeles
The Largest Independent Film Festival Focused on Chinese language and Culture in the U.S. Showcase 21 Diverse Films this Holiday Season
Los Angeles, Nov. 27, 2023 – After three years of navigating the uncertainties amidst the pandemic and witnessing the transformative changes in our world, the Alula Film Festival announces its return to in-person cinema experiences in Los Angeles. Formerly known as D.C. Chinese Film, the 2023 festival will showcase 21 films at the Culver Theater in Culver City, LA, running from November 30th to December 3rd.
Established as a non-profit organization in Washington DC in 2011, Alula Film is dedicated to discovering under-recognized Chinese language independent and arthouse films and filmmakers. Over the past decade, Alula Film has successfully hosted multiple film festivals and retrospective series in Washington DC, showcasing more than 400 films to U.S. audiences.
The 2023 Alula Film Festival presents a rich and diverse program, featuring a carefully curated selection of films that span various genres and narratives. Opening the festival is the visually stunning thriller “Only the River Flows,” while the award-winning documentary “Youth” by acclaimed director Wang Bing will bring the festival to a captivating close.
From over 500 submissions worldwide, the festival has selected four narrative features, four documentary features, and eleven shorts for the Main Competition. Notably, six out of the eight features are crafted by first-time filmmakers, exemplifying Alula Film Festival’s commitment to supporting emerging voices in Chinese language filmmaking.
These films delve into the diverse facets of modern-day China, portraying the lives of a food deliverer, a sex worker, a drag queen, a theater student, and others. The narratives traverse mountains and venture into the future, capturing the extraordinary journeys of ordinary women torn between societal expectations and their true selves, a marble’s odyssey from Greece to China, the haunting pursuit of memory’s ghosts by young girls, familial bonds breaking and mending, and athletes pushing boundaries and faith in an imagined Olympic setting.
Jury members including Rose Kuo, producer, writer and festival director; Ryan Swen, film critic ; Abby Sun, documentary curator, critic and filmmaker; Ran Ma, film scholar on Asian studies and film. Together, they represent a convergence of diverse talents and perspectives within the film industry. Their combined expertise will play a vital role in recognizing and celebrating the outstanding independent films that will be showcased at the Alula Film Festival.The jury will decide on the award-winning films and present the awards during the closing ceremony on December 3, 2023.
In a time marked by vulnerability and societal challenges, the Alula Film Festival aims to bridge cultural divides by presenting thought-provoking stories and perspectives from China and Chinese-speaking communities worldwide. The festival committee believes that these stories will connect people on a deeply human level, transcending cultural origins and fostering a sense of unity.
For Media inquiries, interviews, and press passes, please contact: Fan Zhang at [email protected]
Visit film festival website [www.alulafilm.org] & [alula.eventbrite.com] for the full festival schedule and ticket information.
