‘Sino-Latin Film Festival in Macau’

Participants in a seminar debating the possibility of organising a Sino-Latin Film Festival in Macau agreed yesterday on the feasibility of holding it on a regular basis here, a release from the organisers said.
The festival, using Macau as a platform for the exchange of films between Greater China and the Latin-speaking countries would be held on a regular basis “with the support and collaboration of the Consulates General, Embassy and Government Overseas Offices of the Latin-Speaking countries”, it added.
Participants also considered that the Macau S.A.R. government, “which has been endeavouring to further develop the cultural industry in Macau, should play an important part in turning this idea into reality by providing both the monetary and non-monetary support”.
Such an event would “add more color to the cultural development of Macau. Local residents and visitors would have a chance to enjoy movies produced in the different Latin-speaking countries during the festival”. At the same time, films produced in Greater China could go across oceans to different Latin-speaking countries through Macau, stated the release.
A proposal approved by the meeting pointed to the setting up of a working team including professionals from the film industry as well as cultural representatives from Latin-speaking countries and from China to carry out the event’s organisation.
The Sino-Latin Film Festival would be held independently of the existing Macao International Music Festival or the Macao Arts Festival, aiming to attract visitors to Macau at a different time span.
The Seminar was jointly organised by the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America (MAPEAL) and the Macao Media Advancement Association (MMAA).
The organisers of the seminar highlighted that for the first time representatives from Embassy, Consulates General and government overseas offices of the 12 Latin-speaking countries were gathered here with representatives from Mainland China and Macau to discuss the feasibility and essential steps to organise the “Sino-Latin Film Festival in Macau”.
Among the countries represented were Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru from Latin America; France, Portugal, Romania and Spain from Europe; Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique, from Africa.
Seminars on developing the film industry in Greater China have already been held by MMAA in collaboration with film associations from Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan for three consecutive years in Macau, according to the organisers. “It’s time to extend the subject further into an international event with the support of MAPEAL,” the release added.