Zurich Film Festival shines spotlight on Chinese movies

The 18th Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) in Switzerland is zooming in on filmmakers and movies from Hong Kong, with a selection of unique screenings highlighting China's booming film market and promoting cultural exchange between East and West.

"Asia is one of the motors of the movie business. China has overtaken the US as the premium market worldwide," ZFF's artistic director Christian Jungen told Xinhua.

This year's festival takes place from Sept 22 to Oct 2 and presents 146 films, including a record 38 world and European premieres.

ZFF is the largest autumn film festival in the German-speaking world. Last year, it attracted over 100,000 spectators and thousands of accredited film and media professionals.

This year's program features a "Hong Kong Window" of new films and classics.

"I have been to Hong Kong many times and it's one of the most exciting film hubs in Asia," said Jungen. "It's a bridge between East and West. They make films which are Asian, Chinese, but at the same time very appealing also to our Zurich or Western audience."

"Chinese cinema really opens a window for us to this massive country with its own long history and culture," he said.

Films are often the first point of inspiration for people to visit a place, he added. "Therefore it's also important to have Chinese films." .