Interference from Chinese Authorities Abroad: Canadian Films on Beijing-Censored Topic Disrupted at Ontario Film Festival
In Malaysia, the government stated that if the company’s film was screened, it would negatively impact the diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. Brian Fang, an actor who works for the film production company, felt excited when he heard that his company would be recognized at an awards ceremony. However, his excitement turned into embarrassment when he was told that the film had already received a certificate and he was turned away. This incident, along with two others in Asia, led Fang and his colleagues to suspect that the Chinese government was involved. One incident occurred at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, where it was claimed that a high-ranking official from China’s foreign affairs ministry intervened to prevent the film company from receiving recognition. Another incident took place in Malaysia, where the government stated that screening the film would damage diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. The film company also experienced peculiar incidents at the Markham International Film Festival in Canada. They submitted two films to the festival, but there were issues with the certificate presentation. The mayor, who was initially warm and welcoming, changed his demeanor after the opening ceremony and refused to hand out the certificates. Eventually, the festival organizers had to give the film crew the certificates instead. The film company suspects outside influence on the council, possibly from the Chinese Communist Party. They have expressed concern about interference from the CCP, as many of their crew members have experienced harassment of their families in China. Markham, where the incidents occurred, has a significant Chinese community and has been known for CCP interference.
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