VALLETTA, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The fifth "Happy Chinese New Year" film festival kicked off on Friday evening with the Chinese film "The Rescue" at Malta's National Centre for Creativity in Valletta.
Three more Chinese films: "My People, My Homeland," "A Little Red Flower," and "Hi, Mom" will be showcased during the festival, which will run through Feb. 20.
The festival is jointly organized by the China Cultural Centre in Malta and the National Centre for Creativity to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 10.
Charmaine St. John, the mayor of Santa Lucija, said she is deeply impressed by "The Rescue," describing it as a "nice film." Given her background as a pilot, she found a special connection with the movie.
She said the dragon symbolizes strength while wishing "stronger and closer" relationship between Malta and China in the Year of the Dragon.
Thiago Jo Said, 15, shared his admiration for Chinese films and his enthusiasm to learn the Chinese language. He said he hoped to visit China by winning the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation's "Junior Cultural Ambassador" award for 2024.
Christopher Schembri, head of the Senior Sector at San Andrea School, praised the film as "beautiful and valuable," saying that he has planned to visit China with his students this summer.
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On bilateral ties, Schembri wished stronger bond between the two countries. "I'm sure that we can learn a lot from each other and see more Chinese people coming to Malta," he added.
Charmaine Zammit, an education official from the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, was so engrossed in the film "The Rescue" that she decided to watch all the other three Chinese films. She also expressed the hope that cultural and education exchanges between Malta and China would keep strengthening in the Year of the Dragon.
Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta, emphasized the festival's role in presenting outstanding Chinese films to the Maltese audience and fostering a cultural connection through the cinematic experience.