ChinaFest will have three featured events and five screenings. They are in their 14th year and all events/screenings are free and open to the public.
FESTIVAL EVENTS:
The Irby B. Brown Lecture
The Art of War (And Peace): Understanding China’s Perspective and Its Return To Being a Superpower
Thursday, Feb 14 | 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
International Commons, Carole Weinstein International Center
Mr. Adkins will briefly discuss China’s history, its first interactions with the US, differences between the way China trains its leaders and the US comes by its leaders, as well as current rhetoric by both sides on trade issues.
Steve Adkins focusses his practice on complex IP/trade litigation at the US International Trade Commission and at US Customs. He and his team have acted for companies based in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Steve is a frequent lecturer on US IP/trade litigation in Asia.
He is a graduate of the University of Richmond Law School and is a partner with McGuireWoods, resident in its Washington, D.C. office.
ChinaFest: Year of the Earth Pig
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Sat, Feb 16 | 10:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Join VMFA in a celebration of the Lunar New Year and ChinaFest: Year of the Earth Pig! Explore Chinese art and culture through art-making activities, demonstrations, and performances. Decorate your own folding fan and create a miniature Earth Pig sculpture. Watch the dynamic Lion Dance, beautiful performances by Yu Dance Arts, and so much more!
Stitching Culture: Chinese Textiles from the Carver Collection
Extended to May 10, 2019, Lora Robins Gallery, University of Richmond
Sunday, Feb 17, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Live Long and Prosper: Chinese Religious Imagery for the Western Market Lora Robins Gallery, Gallery Talk Presenter: Franklin Propert, collector. Program is followed by a tea reception
SCREENINGS:
All screenings are at Ukrops Auditorium, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond
Friday, Feb. 15, 3:00 p.m.
Tyrus
Dir. Pamela Tom (will be at the screening ) , USA, 2015, 73 min.
Renowned artist and painter Tyrus Wong lived a long and storied life, with impoverished beginnings in an immigration detention center to success and recognition in Hollywood and beyond. With strong eastern influences, Wong’s serene artistic style would eventually impress the likes of Warner Brothers and Walt Disney, and become the inspiration for the animated classic Bambi. This documentary explores Wong’s life from his earliest years and those beyond his 100th birthday!
Friday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m.
End of Summer
Dir. Quan Zhou, China, 2017, 102 min.
Gu Xiaoyang is a young boy like so many others: infatuated with the game of soccer. His father is like many parents, too: insisting that his son focus on school work. During the 1998 World Cup, Gu strikes up a somewhat improbable friendship with a curmudgeonly old man, Grandpa Cheng, who agrees to act as his soccer coach. Their relationship becomes more complicated as Gu deals with friction between his parents and Grandpa Cheng works through undisclosed hurt from the past.
Saturday, Feb. 16, 10:30 a.m.
The Search for General Tso
Dir. Ian Cheney, USA, 2014, 75 min.
General Tso’s Chicken: the beloved dish of so many Chinese food-eating Americans. But who exactly was the General and how did his namesake dish become such the cliché staple in America? Director Ian Cheney is determined to unravel this mystery, traveling from Shanghai to the States in true detective style. Cheney uncovers surprising truths about the dish’s origin, tales of American immigration, and a cast of sweet and spicy characters along the way.
Saturday, Feb. 16, 1:00 p.m.
Kaili Blues
Dir. Bi Gan, China, 2015, 113 min.
Chen, a rural Chinese doctor, leaves his small clinic in the dreary city of Kalili to find his nephew who has been sent away. He travels by train, boat, motorcycle and more through towns where others appear to be on searches of their own. In one small town along the way, past, present, and future all seem to be interwoven in this elusive film where symbols and visuals trump the spoken word and action.
Sunday, Feb 17, 7:30 p.m.
Xuan Zang
Dir. Huo Jianqi, China, 2016, 90 min.
During the seventh century Tang Dynasty, a young monk, Xuan Zang, sets off on a long journey to India to study Buddhism. Along the epic pilgrimage Xuan Zang encounters challenges at nearly every turn—natural disasters, betrayal, food shortages, and grueling climate fluctuations among them. In all, the spiritual trek to India spans 17 years in his quest to explore the teachings of Buddhism. By the time the once-young monk returns to his homeland, Xuan Zang is 50 years old.
Website: http://www.therosegroup.org/caffc/programs_2019.htm