C / LENS

𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙖 𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙥✨

What an emotional and inspiring journey — four days of films and conversations that reimagined the power of cinema as language, action, and future.

With over half of the sold-out screenings, this year’s ICCW brought together over 700 audiences across cultures to narratives of migration, q***rness, ethnic minorities, labor, belonging, and more.

This year, ICCW took place at 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼 , the oldest independent arthouse cinema in Germany — a poetic encounter between a young, evolving festival and a historic space where time unfolds cinematically.

-

🎬 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
– 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝: 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 — discussion moderated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and researcher Ian Johnson .
– 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙: 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙄𝙄 — moderated by historian Dr. Yang Qiao.
– Berlin Premiere of 𝙓𝙞𝙭𝙞 — with editor Anna Magdalena and protagonist Xixi in attendance for a heartfelt Q&A, greeted with tears and cheers from the audience.
– 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙄𝙄𝙄: (𝙍𝙚)𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 — joined by filmmaker Pahriya Ghalip (Ada) , who shared openly about her creative journey and cultural identity.

Each conversation naturally continued in the lounge, where filmmakers, curators, and audiences lingered in deep exchange long after the screenings ended.

-

Huge thanks to all our collaborators, partners, and everyone who joined us — your energy made this edition truly special.
As we look back on CiLENS’s three-year journey, we are reminded that cinema is not only a mirror of the world, but a medium through which the world can be reimagined and reshaped.

Reaching its fourth edition, ICCW also marks a moment of transformation. From its roots in the Sinophone world, our curatorial practice will continue to expand across Asia and its diasporas — moving between regions, languages, and disciplines to generate new dialogues and connections.

3 DAYS TO GO!

The 4th Indie Chinese Cinema Week kicks off this Wednesday!

-
✨ 5–9 June at Kino Moviemento & Giri, Berlin

From opening night celebrations to six feature screenings and three short film programs, this year’s edition brings together voices across regions, generations, and forms — all within one week of independent Chinese cinema.

-
🎟 Full schedule in slides
📍Moviemento Kino & Giri Berlin .berlino