Hon. Mr. Raj Kishor Yadav, Minister for Information and Communication of Nepal,
Respectable Mr. Ganesh Bhandari, President of Film Development Board of Nepal,
Respectable Mr. Dipak Sarkar, President of World Cultural Net,
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon!
Firstly, I would like to extend my warm congratulations to the opening of the Chinese Film Festival in Nepal and sincere gratitude to the co-organizers and all friends contributing to this festival.
Film art is a reproduction of lives of different eras. With Chinese movies following the tides of epochs and its producing level approaching the international standard, China has become the second largest film market in the world. More and more Chinese films have appeared in the awarding lists of many international film festivals. Many famous Chinese stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li have been famed in the international movie arenas.
I'm very glad to see that the annual Chinese Film Festival in Nepal has been warmly welcomed by Nepalese audience and become an important platform of cultural exchange for Nepalese people to get to know and understand China.
This year's Chinese Film Festival is trying to display the originality, diversification and internationalization of Chinese movies. Five films to be screened including the latest feature films and an animated film produced by China are with extensive themes and various styles. All films have been screened at various international film festivals. These films will not only unfold splendid traditional Chinese history and culture, but also reveal the colorful contemporary China and China's course of development. The film to be screened today, Under the Hawthorn Tree, is directed by Zhang Yimou, one of the most famous directors in China. He is the general director of the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympic Games, 2008. I believe, the Chinese Film Festival in Nepal will become a window for Nepalese friends to get to know Chinese culture and national conditions. Meanwhile, it will also deepen mutual understanding and friendship between peoples of our two countries and contribute to the development of our bilateral relations.
Thank you once again for your presence and support. Wish the Chinese Film Festival in Nepal 2012 a grand success.