The Fourth Chinese Documentary Film Festival is currently underway in the coastal city of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, following its opening on October 25.
The three-day event, scheduled until October 27, features a diverse array of documentary screenings and nominations, gathering numerous film industry practitioners from across the globe for in-depth exchanges and intellectual inspiration.
The festival comprises highlighted Chinese Documentary Film Recommendation submissions, curated film screenings and post-screening panel discussions, a festival opening ceremony, themed forums, new film promotions, alongside several dedicated networking events.
The 3rd Chinese Documentary Film Festival took place in Zhuhai in Oct. 2024.
For the Chinese Documentary Film Recommendation session, a Recommendation Committee comprised of film industry insiders reviews shortlisted works that have been submitted since September and selects recipients across 11 categories, such as Annual Special Recommendations and Recommended Cultural-Historical Documentaries. The final results will be officially announced at the festival's subsequent schedule and at the closing ceremony.
For film screenings and promotions running through October 27, the festival will present a chronological exploration of cinematic classics and feature a specially curated section titled "Sports Spirit" in celebration of the 15th National Games, screening outstanding documentaries such as How Many Decisive Battles Can One Encounter in His Life (a documentary about Rong Guotuan, China's first world champion) that highlights the striving spirits of athletes.
Meanwhile, a special screening of the documentary film Chinese White Dolphin will be held. This documentary, set to hit China's domestic cinemas in December, captures the beauty of the "national treasure of the sea." Forging a powerful symbolic connection with the mascots of Zhuhai City and the upcoming National Games in November, which also feature dolphins, the documentary's release is a timely coincidence and serves as a cultural prelude to the National Games.
In March 2025, Chinese White Dolphin made its debut at the 29th Hong Kong International Film & TV Market.
For the series of special networking events, there will be the "Zhuhai Night" and the "Light and Shadow Charm Consumption Week," which will integrate musical performances with intangible cultural heritage workshops; the highly anticipated "Walk of Glory," which invites heroes involved in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to walk alongside renowned documentary filmmakers; and the "Golden Seagull" awards ceremony, which will innovatively involve local AI robots to demonstrate the dynamic convergence of technology and artistic expression.
The festival is jointly hosted by Zhuhai local government departments and several major film organizations in China.
Through Chinese-language documentary films, the event aims to serve as a cultural bridge, highlighting the integration and mutual learning between Chinese and world civilizations, and presenting the enduring legacy of China's outstanding traditional culture and visual gems to the world.
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Zhuhai Media Group
Editor | Hu Nan, James Campion, Shen He
