Kolkata: After 10 years, the Chinese film festival is set to return to Kolkata. And it will be followed by another event that will debut in the city — the International Chinese Language Day celebration. Both will be organised by the Chinese Consulate in Kolkata. While the three-day film fest — in association with Nandan — begins on April 17, Mandarin Day will be observed on April 20.“The last China Film Festival was held in Kolkata in 2016. Many of my Indian friends tell me the works of Chinese directors like Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Wong Kar-Wai and Jia Zhangke are popular here. This year, the China Film Archive and Nandan, the West Bengal Film Centre, will host the 2026 Kolkata China Film Festival from April 17 to 19. The opening ceremony will be at 6.30 pm on April 17 at Nandal I,” Xu Wei, Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, said on Friday.The consul-general also announced the International Chinese Language Day celebrations on April 20 at Modern High School for Girls, in collaboration with School of World Languages and St Joan’s School. “In 2010, the UN designated Guyu (Grain Rain), a solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar, as International Chinese Language Day to promote Chinese language education and cultural exchange. It’s been a pleasure to see more people learning Chinese in India. Many schools have expressed interest in offering Chinese language courses,” he said.Students from city schools will perform Chinese songs and dances, and recite poetry. The consulate will set up over 10 cultural experience stalls, featuring activities like calligraphy, paper cutting and tea ceremony, as well as Baduanjin (a traditional form of Qigong), shuttlecock kicking, and lantern making from 10 am on April 20.“On April 18, China Eastern Airlines will resume the direct flight route between Kolkata and Kunming, sister cities since 2013,” the consul-general added.
