ANNOUNCEMENT: CIFF and ACMI will present seven short films in a one-off screening celebrating a new generation of Chinese-Australian filmmakers who are making their mark across both national and global cinema.
The award-winning selections span 2012 to 2024 and have premiered at Festival de Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London, MIFF and more. Featuring filmmakers from across the Australian diaspora, alongside directors from Singapore and mainland China who have lived and worked in Australia, the program explores the ideas and experiences shaping contemporary Chinese-Australian youth identity.
The screening will also be followed by a panel discussion moderated by artist and curator Nikki Lam (@curiousother ) with filmmakers from the program.
Featuring:
FARAWAYS (2012) — dir. Audrey Lam
IDOL (2020) — dir. Alex Wu (@aoxunw )
THE DANCING GIRL & THE BALLOON MAN (2023) — dir. David Ma (@davidmaa )
BONG XI FA CAI (2024) — dir. Johnathan Lo (@willywonkarwai )
WITHERED BLOSSOMS (2024) — dir. Lionel Seah (@lionel.seah )
A GENTLE NIGHT (2017) — dir. Qiu Yang (@whosqiuyang )
TUI NA (2022) — dir. William Duan (@dpphnx )
Curated by Victor Tang (CIFF), with support from Ella Cawthorn (ACMI).
Where: ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne
When: Thursday, March 26, 7.30pm
Book tickets now via link in bio 🔗
CIFF is proud to announce our ongoing partnership with ACMI (@acmionline ), launching with our new monthly program Once Upon A Time in 華語 Cinema. Screening one film each month from February to November 2026, the program marks the beginning of a sustained collaboration dedicated to Chinese-language cinema at Australia’s home of cinema. CIFF will also be involved with other programs at ACMI during 2026, which we’re so excited to share with you.
Once Upon a Time in 華語 Cinema is a selection of films by Chinese-language directors who have passed away – an ode to remembrance and reflection on their artistry. Spanning from the silent era to contemporary cinema, these works stand as testaments to both personal retelling and collective memory. Each film captures the artistic and social temperament of its time, while examining the complex history of Chinese-speaking places.
Discover the full program via link in bio 🔗
Program:
THE TERRORIZERS 恐怖份子 (1986), directed by Edward Yang 楊德昌
LOVE AND DUTY 戀愛與義務 (1931), directed by Bu Wancang 卜萬蒼
THE LAST EMPEROR 末代皇帝 (1987), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
BEAUTY OF BEAUTIES 西施 (1965), directed by Li Han-hsiang 李翰祥
THE STORY OF A SMALL TOWN 小城故事 (1980), directed by Li Hsing 李行
STORM UNDER THE SUN 紅日風暴 (2007), directed by Wei Shiyu 魏時煜 & Peng Xiaolian 彭小莲
DRAGON INN 龍門客棧 (1967), directed by King Hu 胡金銓
THE SPRING RIVER FLOWS EAST 一江春水向東流 (1947), directed by Cai Chusheng 蔡楚生 & Zheng Junli 鄭君里
AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL 大象席地而坐 (2018), directed by Hu Bo 胡波
THE WAY OF THE DRAGON 猛龍過江 (1972), directed by Bruce Lee 李小龍
ANNOUNCEMENT: CIFF can finally share our monthly program at Lido and Ritz Cinemas for 2026. Marking CIFF’s third year partnering with both independent cinemas in Melbourne and Sydney, the program features an incredible array of new and classic Chinese-language cinema from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, across all genres.
The season will launch on Sunday February 15, with the Australian premiere of the critically-acclaimed 2024 film BEL AMI. See you there!
Explore the full program and book tickets at ciff.org.au via the link in bio
FULL PROGRAM:
BEL AMI 漂亮朋友 (2024), dir. Geng Jun 耿軍
YEN AND AI-LEE 小雁與吳愛麗 (2024), dir. Tom Lin 林書宇
TO LIVE 活着 (1994), dir. Zhang Yimou 張藝謀
COMRADES: ALMOST A LOVE STORY 甜蜜蜜 (1996), dir. Peter Chan 陳可辛
BUTTERFLY 蝴蝶 (2004), dir. Yan Yan Mak 麥婉欣
TEN YEARS (2015) 十年, dir. Kiwi Chow, Jevons Au, Kwok Zune, Ng Ka-Leung, Wong Fei-Pang
THREE GOATS CASTRATED 三只羯子(2024), dir. Zhang Ji 叶星宇
CENTER STAGE 阮玲玉 (1991), dir. Stanley Kwan 關錦鵬
THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET 白日青春 (2022), dir. Lau Kok Rui 劉國瑞
THE ASSASSIN 刺客聶隱娘 (2015), dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien 侯孝賢
REMINDER: This Sunday May 17, CIFF will screen COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY 甜蜜蜜 (1996) at @lidocinemas in Melbourne and @palacenova in Adelaide, while our @ritz_cinema screening in Sydney has been moved to next Sunday May 24.
Directed by Peter Chan 陳可辛 and starring Maggie Cheung 張曼玉 and Leon Lai 黎明, this beloved Hong Kong classic follows two mainland migrants in their youth whose lives cross over the years. A love story like no other, set in mid-1990s Hong Kong — an island in a moment of profound transition.
Where: Lido Cinemas (Melb) and Palace Nova (Ade)
When: Sunday May 17, 2pm AEST
Where: Ritz Cinema (Syd)
When: Sunday May 24, 2pm AEST
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
CIFF dedicates our next screening to the life and legacy of Teresa Teng 鄧麗君 — marking 31 years since her passing.
COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY 甜蜜蜜 (1996), stands as Hong Kong and mainland China’s love letter to the Taiwanese singer’s cultural impact, released a year after her death.
In the mid-1990s, following her passing during the height of Hong Kong’s golden era of music, the city entered a period of collective remembrance. Her songs returned to prominence across radio and television, echoing through everyday life once more, with Hong Kong’s biggest music icons paying tribute.
The CIFF team has selected this scene in which Maggie Cheung 張曼玉’s character hears the news of her passing — alongside a selection of our favourite Hong Kong TV tribute performances.
COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY
When: Sunday, May 17, 2pm AEST
Where: Lido (Melb), Palace Nova (Ade)
Sunday, May 24, 2pm AEST
Where: Ritz (Syd)
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
ANNOUNCEMENT: On Sunday May 17, CIFF will screen COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY 甜蜜蜜 (1996), directed by Peter Chan 陳可辛, across Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
One of the most beloved works of Cantonese cinema — led by two of Hong Kong’s most beloved icons, Leon Lai 黎明 and Maggie Cheung 張曼玉 — this award-winning romance captures the bittersweet realities of migration, identity and love in a rapidly changing world.
Following two mainland Chinese migrants in their youth who arrive in Hong Kong in search of a better life, their paths intertwine over years of chance encounters, missed opportunities and shifting ambitions. Set against the backdrop of Hong Kong’s handover era, the film traces a love that endures across time, distance and circumstance.
When: Sunday, May 17, 2pm AEST
Where: Lido (Melb), Ritz (Syd), Palace Nova (Ade)
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
REMINDER: This Sunday May 3, CIFF will present a rare 4K screening of BEAUTY OF BEAUTIES 西施 (1965) at ACMI. The screening is presented with the support of the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (@tfai_tw ).
A landmark of Chinese-language cinema, BEAUTY OF BEAUTIES was developed with story input from then-Taiwan President Chiang Ching-kuo and features the participation of the Taiwanese army — a testament to the scale and cultural significance of the production. The film highlights a pivotal era of Taiwan’s film history, where state-backed productions and artistic ambition converged to create works of extraordinary visual craftsmanship made for the big screen. Through the legend of Xi Shi — one of China’s four great beauties — the film unfolds a tale of political strategy and seduction, set against the rivalry between the kingdoms of Yue and Wu.
When: Sunday, May 3, 2pm
Where: ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
ANNOUNCEMENT: Next Sunday May 3, CIFF and ACMI will present a rare, one-off screening of the Chinese arthouse classic, BEAUTY OF BEAUTIES 西施 (1965) — a grand retelling of one of China’s four great beauties.
Directed by Li Han-hsiang 李翰祥, the film stands as one of the earliest and greatest examples of arthouse storytelling in Chinese-language cinema. Set during the Warring States period, it follows Xi Shi, a courtesan whose beauty is deployed as a political weapon, weaving together romance, power and tragedy. Presented in a stunning 4K restoration, with both English and Chinese subtitles, this is a rare opportunity to experience the film’s visual richness as it was originally intended.
Where: ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne
When: Sunday, May 3, 2pm
Book tickets via link in bio 🔗
Next Wednesday, April 22, CIFF’s bookshop Elsewhere Books will host a special encore screening of THE TWO LIVES OF LI ERMAO 李二毛的两次人生 (2019), followed by a remote Q&A with director Jia Yuchuan 贾玉川 (Q&A will be in Mandarin).
Following CIFF’s programming of the documentary last year at ACMI and AGNSW as part of FOCUS ON QUEER 中文 CINEMA, it became clear just how vital it is for the film to be seen by our audiences. Shot over 17 years, the documentary traces the life of Li Ermao, a transgender migrant worker navigating love, family rejection, poverty and an evolving sense of identity. Moving between Guangzhou and her rural hometown, Li’s journey unfolds through moments of profound transformation alongside brutal marginalisation.
Very limited tickets available via the link in @elsewhere_books_mel ’s bio — tickets are just $10.
Where: Elsewhere Books 別處書社 – Level 3, 139 Franklin St, Melbourne
When: Wednesday, April 22, 7pm
REMINDER: This Sunday April 19, CIFF will screen TO LIVE 活着 (1994), directed by Zhang Yimou 張藝謀, in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
Featuring two of China’s most iconic performers, Gong Li 鞏俐 and Ge You 葛優 (winner of Cannes’ best actor), this modern classic traces decades of change through the eyes of one family. From the fall of the Republic to the height of Maoist campaigns, the film moves through history with the emotional clarity of China’s most celebrated filmmaker.
When: Sunday, April 19, 2pm AEST
Where: Lido (Melb), Ritz (Syd), Palace Nova (Ade)
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
ANNOUNCEMENT: On Sunday April 19, CIFF will screen TO LIVE 活着 (1994), directed by Zhang Yimou 張藝謀, across Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
One of the most defining works of modern Asian cinema — led by two of China’s most iconic actors, Gong Li 鞏俐 and Ge You 葛優 — the Cannes-winning masterpiece reflects on the turbulent history of 20th-century China from the 1940s through to the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s.
Following an ordinary family as they are repeatedly devastated by war, collectivisation and ideological campaigns beyond their control, Zhang avoids grand spectacle in favour of something more intimate — letting history unfold through everyday life, quiet resilience and tragedy.
When: Sunday, April 19, 2pm AEST
Where: Lido (Melb), Ritz (Syd), Palace Nova (Ade)
Book tickets via link in bio @ ciff.org.au 🔗
Next Sunday April 5, join CIFF at ACMI for THE LAST EMPEROR 末代皇帝 (1987) – Bernardo Bertolucci’s landmark epic that won nine Academy Awards, sweeping every category in which it was nominated.
Shot inside the Forbidden City with breathtaking scale — the first Western production ever granted access — the film traces the life of Aisin-Gioro Puyi, China’s final Qing dynasty emperor. It spans more than half a century, charting the country’s dramatic transformation from imperial grandeur to revolutionary upheaval.
Crafted by legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, The Last Emperor is a monumental and intimate portrait of identity, power and loss unfolding across a changing nation.
Where: ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne
When: Sunday, April 5, 2pm
Book tickets via link in bio 🔗 FYI: tickets are selling fast!
