The 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) will be held in Beijing on September 21-29. To further enhance the international influence and build a more comprehensive, higher-end and more diversified international exchange platform, the 11th BJIFF this year will set Greece as the "Guest of Honor" for the first time the Greek guest country for the first time and host various amazing activities in collaboration with the Embassy of Greece in China.

In November 2019, President Xi Jinping's state visit to Greece opened a new chapter in China-Greece relations. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership, and next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Greece. On September 16, the 2021 "Greece-China Year of Culture and Tourism" had a grand opening. To highlight the important event, the 11th BJIFF specially sets Greece as the "Guest of Honor" for the first time. 

Looking back at the BJIFF in the past decade, many Greek films were shortlisted for the "Tiantan Award” and "Beijing Film Panorama" at the BJIFF, film The Waiter won the Best Music Award and the Best Actor Award at the 9th BJIFF; other Greek hits like The Enemy Within, Unfair World and The Lobster were well received by Chinese fans, too. Greece serving as the first Guest of Honor at this year's BJIFF will continue to open a window for film fans to understand Greek culture, and realize the resource sharing by combining Greece's unique film shooting advantages with China's huge potential film market.

To expedite the establishment of Sino-Greek film & television industry cooperation and exchange platform, the BJIFF this year will host various amazing activities in collaboration with the Embassy of Greece in China, including the Greek Film Week, thematic booth at the Beijing Film Market and location promotion activities, to promote excellent Greek films, shooting locations in Greece, the development of the Greek film industry and various preferential policies. Meanwhile, Ms. Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture and Sports of Greece, will also be specially invited to act as the honorary guest of the BJIFF and deliver a speech at the opening ceremony on September 21 to deliver her blessings for cooperation and exchanges between China and Greece in the film industry.

According to the released screening list of "Beijing Film Panorama", four high-quality Greek films, Tailor, Moon, 66 Questions, Apples and Digger, will debut in the "Global View – Greek Film Week” section. The film fans can go to the offline cinemas to experience the natural scenery and humanistic sentiments of Greece on the big screen. In addition, the opening ceremony of Greek Film Week will also be held on September 23. The representatives from the Embassy of Greece in China and the representatives of the BJIFF Organizing Committee will attend and deliver speeches. 

The Greek online thematic booth composed of the Embassy of Greece in China, the Greek Film Center, the Greek Film Association, the Greek National Center of Audiovisual Media and Communication, as well as the Greek location promotion video will also "debut" in the Beijing Film Market of the BJIFF on September 23. The Greek online thematic booth then will specially introduce the cash back and joint production policies for the Greek audiovisual products through texts and videos to increase the possibility of cooperation and exchanges, promote the joint development of Chinese and Greek film industries.

The BJIFF has been following the principles of "Share the Screen, Shape the Future" and played an irreplaceable role in the development of China's film industry. The 11th BJIFF this year will carry out different forms of activities and events including the Greece serving as the "Guest of Honor" to expand the "circle of friends", keep up with market demands with innovations.

In the Golden Autumn, let's make concerted efforts to create light. The 11th BJIFF will write a new chapter on September 21-29 to provide film fans with valuable and warm films, join hands with global partners to carry out diversified and multi-layered film exchanges and cooperation!