The 2022 Xiamen New Zealand Film Festival was held in Xiamen from Dec 27 to 30, 2022. At the opening ceremony, Tory Whanau, mayor of Wellington, capital of New Zealand, expressed her best wishes for China and New Zealand through a video link.
The 2022 Xiamen New Zealand Film Festival opens in Xiamen on Dec 27. [Photo/WeChat account: XIAMENFAO]
According to Whanau, the festival served as one of a series of celebrations for the 35th anniversary of sister city relations between Xiamen and Wellington, and the films on display were expected to deepen the communication between the two cities.
After the opening ceremony, a forum focusing on film communication and cooperation was also held. Themed on "how to achieve mutual benefits through further cooperation", a heated discussion was sparkled between film-makers from both cities.
During the four-day period, four New Zealand films from different genres were showcased, including Bellbird and Daffodils, which tell marvelous stories about New Zealand.
New Zealand is the first country that signed an agreement with China to cooperate in both films and television programs, and Wellington is one of Xiamen's sister cities. In 2021, Cousins, a famous New Zealand film was showcased at the Golden Rooster International Film Festival, which is one of China's most influential film festivals.
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
