Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

The last few years has seen the birth of an independent film culture in one of the least expected places—China, where digital cameras have made possible one-person film crews that operate below the radar of official censorship. Bringing together the best examples of emerging Chinese filmmakers is The Chinese Independent Film Festival, to be held December 3-16 at Pole Pole (4-4-1 Higashi Nakano, Nakano-ku; www.mmjp.or.jp/pole2). The ten films in the festival include the documentaries Falling From the Sky (2009; pictured), about a rural community plagued by falling debris from a nearby satellite launching station; A Song of Love, Maybe (2010), which depicts the aspirations of a young woman working at a karaoke parlor; and The Transition Period (2009), which follows three months in the life of an official commissioner of one of China’s counties, of which there are over 1,500. Other highlights include the animated feature Piercing 1 (2009) and the drama Single Man (2010), about an elderly farmer adjusting to China’s rapidly changing countryside. Many of the filmmakers will attend the festival to present their films. Single Man, Piercing 1, A Song of Love, Maybe and The Transition Period will be screened with English subtitles.

http://cifft.net