Iceland Chinese Film Festival kicks off: 《All Wishes Come True! 》leading five Chinese films to Northern Europe

The 2026 Iceland China Film Festival opened in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, on September 27, local time.About two hundred Chinese and Icelandic people from all walks of life, media reporters and local movie fans came to the scene to watch the opening film《All Wishes Come True!》.This year coincides with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iceland. The film festival connects the audiences of the two countries with several consecutive weeks of screenings. Five Chinese films in recent years will successively meet the local audience.

This film festival is co-sponsored by the National Film Administration of China and the Chinese Embassy in Iceland, and organized by the China Film Channel and the Iceland-China Cultural Exchange Association.The screening list includes 《All Wishes Come True!》《A Love Letter to Grandma》《The Escort: The Wind Rises in the Desert》《Chasing the Wind and Shadows》and 《Flying Life 3》.From mythological comedies and family emotions to martial arts action, crime tracking and racing comedies, the five works have different themes and production scales, allowing local audiences to see multiple aspects of Chinese commercial films and genre creations.

《All Wishes Come True!》Assume the opening role.After the screening of the film, chief producer Ying Xujun, director Mou Zhengyang and other main creators took the stage to communicate, introducing the creative process of the story based on traditional mythology, and answering questions from local audiences about character creation, shooting methods and cultural background.For viewers who are exposed to the story of the Eight Immortals for the first time, the relationship between the mythical characters, oriental art elements and contemporary adaptation methods are all important entrances to understanding the film.

Different films also bring different cultural translation tasks.《A Love Letter to Grandma》puts family memories and intergenerational emotions at the center, and many details can directly evoke life experiences;《The Daredevil: Wind Rises in the Desert》relying on the martial arts tradition, needs to help the audience enter the world through actions, costumes and character rules;《Chasing the Wind and Chasing Shadows》and《Flying Life 3》make use of mature genres such as crime, chase and racing, allowing the audience to establish connections with rhythm and character goals first.

After a movie goes out of the country, subtitles are only the most basic step.Mythological allusions, dialect jokes, family names and social habits behind the characters' behaviors may affect the understanding of overseas audiences.Post-screening exchanges filled the space for explanations off-screen.The audience can ask questions directly to the creator, and the creator can also find out from the questions which plots are easy to spread across cultures and which details require more background.

Iceland has unique natural landscapes and mature film and television shooting services. It is also the filming location of many international films.The screening of Chinese films in Reykjavik provides audience exchanges and may also provide opportunities for subsequent cooperation between creators.The film festival is not a one-way display. The production experience of local filmmakers, ice landscapes and Nordic narrative traditions will also enter the scope of observation of Chinese creators.

The 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Iceland gives this event an additional layer of temporal significance.More than half a century of exchanges can be written into historical documents or turned into concrete experiences through a screening.Local audiences saw Chinese cities, families, legends and characters in theaters, and their way of understanding China became more detailed.Chinese creators can also re-understand how their works can be received by another culture after hearing the Icelandic audience's reaction to the characters and plot.

The festival will continue to screen the remaining films.Whether the five films can form a discussion among Icelandic audiences depends on the works themselves, as well as post-screening activities, subtitle expressions and audience communication.The road for Chinese films to go overseas is paved with specific screenings. Every new audience sitting in front of the screen is where this road has truly arrived.