The idea...is to “look for films with strategic crossovers to show the world that there are ways to make films that can be extremely successful in China and extremely successful in the U.S. That might be Chinese myths or U.S. cultural stories as long as they make for really great global stories.”

The Australian screen industry is extending its reach into the USA, following a new International Engagement Program...with G'Day USA...which seeks to strengthen trade, investment, business, innovation and cultural relations between Australia and the United States.

Two of China’s largest film production companies, said they were each acquiring up to 20% of start-up distribution company China Lion Film Distribution, with the goal of introducing more of their films to the U.S. market. Bona Film Group Chairman and Chief Executive Dong Yu added that he thought the deal was a good opportunity to open Chinese films to the North American market and consequently promote Chinese culture abroad.

The documentary is a smart and savvy approach to hasbara (public diplomacy) because it does no persuading, arguing or advocacy whatsoever. Politics could not be further from this film.

Chinese animation can act as a vanguard for the export of Chinese culture, said Leng Song, general secretary of the world media research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Animation is rarely affected by cultural barriers and can be easily understood and accepted by the general public, Leng said.

The Chinese communist regime’s United Front soft-power propaganda war aimed at shaping world opinion through culture, film, and media, has just fired an embarrassing dud, with not a single audience member showing up at the 2011 China Movie Culture Week opening night at New York’s Lincoln Center.

Fresh protests rocked...This time, the public anger revolved around the broadcasting of a controversial French-Iranian film...The controversy surrounding the broadcasting prompted a debate on freedom of speech and respect for religious beliefs in the post-revolution Tunisia.

The 4th Annual European Union Film Festival in China will be held from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30...the EU Film Festival provides a good chance for Chinese people to appreciate EU films and learn about their development, which could also lead the Chinese audience to acquire a better understanding of European culture.