September, 2006

See Photos (Second Annual CAFFC another great success)

Our Second Annual China-America Festival of Film and Culture held in Richmond, VA from September 25 through October 1, 2006 achieved many firsts:

• A Teachers' Workshop as well as the publication of an introductory booklet Learning and Thinking about China were very well received. There is already discussion to expand the offerings to a broader audience across the Commonwealth.
• Scintillating Strings: Music of the Pipa and the Harp, a concert by Min Xiao-Fen
  and the American Youth Harp Ensemble showcased young talent and gave insights
  into East-West music making.
• The Breath of a Wok, a recipe demo and tasting event by renowned cookbook
  author Grace Young was prominently featured in newspapers and on live
  television.
• The interview and the segment about CAFFC produced by May-Lily Lee, host of “Virginia Currents”, was aired three times in Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Roanoke, with an estimated audience of 40,000 to 80,000.
• A three-part series China Old and New: a look into the history and culture of China through vintage documentary films; first-hand accounts of travel in China; and the book and film adaptation of The Good Earth. An exhibition of Pearl Buck’s memorabilia jointly produced by the libraries from University of Richmond and Randolph-Macon Woman's College, alma mater of Pearl Buck, was also featured.

Congratulations to winners of the Mandarin Oratory Contest for both heritage speakers and non-heritage speakers, and our photo contest Beyond the Great Wall: Snapshots from China.

We are very pleased with the growing support of sponsors and audiences, and will strive to build on proven programs and explore new ideas. For the complete list of the 2006 program, please click on HERE for details.

September, 2006

See 2006 photo contest winners

See Photos

August, 2006

Learning and Thinking about China is The Rose Group’s first attempt at publication. Our aim is to introduce China and its culture to the general public as well as to the students in secondary schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

more...

May, 2006

American Delegation to China, May, 2006

Two delegations organized by The Rose Group traveled to China in May, 2006. The first, spending a week in Beijing, was comprised of our three winning filmmakers: Nicholas Emiliani, Ming Kai Leung and Joe Turner Lin. The second group was composed of representatives from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities: Robert Vaughan, Andrew Wyndham and David Bearinger. Visiting for eight days in Beijing, Louyang, and Shanghai, they were joined by award- winning photographer Chris Hancock. The Rose Group held a special screening and awards ceremony for the filmmakers on May 20 at Hart Center,798 Art District in Beijing.

April, 2006

Second Annual Short Film Competition winners

 
October, 2005
 
Inaugural CAFFC was a success

Festival 2005 a Great Success, Festival 2006 is scheduled for September 28-October 1 in Richmond, Virginia

The inaugural China-America Festival of Film and Culture held in Richmond, Virginia on October 5-9, 2005 was a huge success: over the five-day Festival and the extended exhibitions, we drew over 5000 audiences and participants.

Please  click HERE to see the Program Schedule.

We have formed alliances with 23 cultural, educational, civic and governmental entities across the Central Virginia region and beyond, and provided unique programming in arts, lectures, calligraphy, language and food. Our Mandarin oratory contest, travel photo contest “Beyond the Great Wall: Snapshots from China” were well received, as was “A Taste of China in the Old Dominion” with chefs using Virginia products to prepare dishes inspired by Chinese cooking. The Greater Richmond Children’s Choir’s rendition of two classic Chinese folk songs touched a universal chord in many hearts. The screenings of our feature films as well as documentaries generated much interest and discussion.

With overwhelmingly positive responses to our endeavor, preparation is already under way for the second annual Festival on September 28-October 1, 2006. We will build on the foundations of the existing programs and add literature ( Nobel Prize Winner Pearl Buck and her book about China “The Good Earth”), concert and an educational publication.

A separate proposal to use our Festival as a platform to introduce Chinese culture into the classrooms across the Commonwealth of Virginia is under consideration. Possible partners are Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University and others.

October, 2005

See 2005 photo contest winners

See Photos

July 24, 2005

See Photos (China Exchange Program 2005)

We are very successful with the first part of our inaugural effort of cultural exchange via films. In April and May of 2005, we invited three award-winning filmmakers, a film scholar, and a representative from the American Film Institute (AFI) to Beijing and Shanghai for dialogues with their Chinese counterparts. Their testimonials, detailed description of the program, and photo essays can be found at the new China-America Festival of Film and Culture (CAFFC) website.

As a component of the bilateral exchange, in October 2005 we will have Chinese films, filmmakers, and scholars coming to Central Virginia for the first time. We are the very few stand-alone festival dedicated to China and its culture in the United States. We plan to offer an array of cultural events to the college students and the general public for them to gain insights into China, the emerging power on the world stage as well as a partner of increasing importance in U.S. national interest. Details can be found at the CAFFC website.

We have established working relationships with the AFI, American Embassy in Beijing, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Student Film Festival, Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., Tsinghua University School of Journalism and Communication, University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Film Office, and Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Our unique alliance of universities, film and media communities, and government agencies in both countries offer unprecedented access for all parties involved and creates new synergy and venues for meaningful communication and collaborations.

March 11, 2005

See Photos (Inaugural Film Competition Winners and Film Stills)

The China-American Film Festival (CAFFC) announced the winners of its inaugural short film competition. Winning entries exemplified superior filmmaking technique, while exploring universal human relationships in cross-cultural contexts. The response to the competition was encouraging, and representatives of the festival wish to thank those who participated in the competition.

Top Winners

• Kit Hui, "Missing" & "A Rainy Day" (Columbia University)
• Tony Mosher, "Frijolito, Go!" (independent filmmaker)
• Caryn Waechter, "God is Good" (Columbia University)

The biographies of the Top Winners as well as the synopses of their short films can be found at the CAFFC website.

Exceptional Merit

• Jonathan Levine, "SHARDS" (American Film Institute)

Honorable Mentions

• Yue Liu, "Tea & Coffee" (American Film Institute)
• Steven Meyers, "Pilgrims" (independent filmmaker)
• Elisha Miranda, "Blind Date" (independent filmmaker)

The three Top Winners will each receive a $1500 cash award and an invitation to be members of an American delegation traveling to Beijing, China in early May to participate in the prestigious Beijing Student Film Festival (BSFF) where their films will be screened. In addition, the American delegation will participate in screenings and discussions of five American feature films chosen by BSFF to commemorate different aspects of American cinema.

In October of 2005, the winners will again have the opportunity to have their films screened, this time at the China-American Festival of Film and Culture, held in Richmond, Virginia. This Festival will celebrate modern China and will feature films and scholars from China and the United States discussing the various diverse aspects of Chinese film and culture.

The China-American Film Festival wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Virginia Film Office, University of Richmond, the American Center for Educational Exchange in Beijing, and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, which have been instrumental in the success of this program. The Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding is honored to be able to facilitate this unique alliance of universities, film & media communities, and government agencies.

A Chinese film and culture event will be held in Richmond, Virginia from October 6 through 9 in 2005.

As a component of the bilateral effort to promote better understanding and goodwill between China and the United States through media exchanges, we would like to bring home-grown Chinese documentary as well as feature films to the United States as lens into the soul and pulses of a renewing ancient civilization. It is our sincere hope that through dialogues and discourse with Chinese filmmakers and scholars, combined with other related cultural and educational events, be they language, arts, or music, we would offer our audience a more comprehensive perspective of a diverse, vibrant, and evolving nation and its people.

A group of distinguished scholars, filmmakers, artists, community leaders, and educators have agreed to serve on our committees and already been hard at work. Our partners include University of Richmond, Virginia Film Office, and many others, details will be announced at a later date.

The Rose Group has officially launched its inaugural China-American Film Festival (CAFFC). Its purpose is to encourage documentary filmmaking that features individuals or groups that are engaged in cross-cultural endeavors for the betterment of the communities across the United States or China. Anyone who is interested in fostering understanding between different cultural or ethnic groups as well as believing in the power of positive thinking and attitude may enter the competition.

We have also signed an agreement with Beijing Student Film Festival (BSFF) in China. Our US winners will be invited on an all expense-paid trip (seven to nine days) to Beijing in May, 2005 and participate in the BSFF-related panel discussion as well as interact with their Chinese counterparts.

All information about the competition will be available soon on our website, by clicking on the CAFF logo displayed on the homepage. Information about BSFF in English could be found in the Links and Materials section.

The Rose Group is currently co-producing a 30-minutes documentary about BSFF and will finance a cross-cultural award at BSFF in 2005.

See Photos (Spring Festival in Beijing)

This year was the first time in thirty-three years that Rose celebrated Spring Festival in China. The annual Spring Festival marks the beginning of Chinese New Year which is based on lunar calendar. The fifteen days of festivities were highlighted in photos taken from various locations and temple fairs around Beijing. The collection of images in our Multimedia Gallery represents only a small sample of what went on. Special thanks to Shen Jia, Qu Yuan, and Hu Xiao Qian, all fourth-year students from the Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication, who accompanied Rose to two of the temple fairs. Shen Jia also contributed nine of the 42 photos.

Wishing you all a joyful and peaceful year of the Monkey!

See Photos (October 20 to 26, 2003) | Topping's Speech (October 22, 2003)

Mr. Seymour Topping, former Managing Editor of New York Times and Administrator of Pulitzer Prize, was invited to attend and to speak at Tsinghua Summit Forum on Global Newspaper Operation. The Summit Forum was co-sponsored by All-China Association of Newspaper Industry and Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication (TSJC) during October 22 and October 24 at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

The theme of the discussion is how should the newspaper industry, facing increasingly market-driven competition at home and globally, manage challenges and create opportunities. Participants included scholars and editor-in-chief and senior management officials from nearly all major newspapers in China. Also invited were high-level officials from Asahi News, Daily Yomiuri of Japan and University of Westminster, UK.

Mr. Topping and his wife, Audrey Ronning Topping, a well-known photojournalist and author, also participated in a panel discussion with Tsinghua students after Mr. Topping delivered a lecture at a packed University Auditorium. They have been invited to attend a graduate seminar at TSJC and engaged in lively exchanges with students there as well.

By the request of Dean Nicholas Lemann, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Mr. Topping held discussion with Dr. Steven Dong, Director of External Relations & International Co-operation at TSJC, about possible collaboration between the two schools.

After Beijing, Mr. and Mrs. Topping flew to Nanjing as the guests of Yangtze Evening News (under Xinhua Daily Press Group) which claims number one in circulations in China, then to Shanghai as the guests of the influential Wenhui Xinmin United Press Group which is one of the oldest newspapers in China.

The trip allowed the Toppings to have a closer look at what is going on in both Journalism schools and newspaper industry in China today. It also provided the students and newspaper management opportunity to tap into Mr. Topping's deep and vast journalistic experience as well as to gain insights about his and Audrey's deep-rooted Chinese connection.

On the day of their coming home to the United States, Mr. Topping's "Journey Between Two Chinas" (1972) and Audrey's "Charlie's World" (2000) both came out in Chinese editions.

A documentary will be co-produced by The Rose Group and Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication (TSJC) in 2004. This is our first attempt in a series to feature an institution or individual that has made significant contributions to the betterment of cross-cultural understanding between the United States and China.

Tsinghua University has been chosen as the starting point of our efforts because it was a preparatory school for top Chinese students headed for prestigious American universities in the early Twentieth Century. Both the preparatory school and its students were financed by funds established by the US government after the Boxer Rebellion. Over the years, many of the students returned to China and became notable leaders in the fields of politics, economics, engineering, science, and social studies. One good deed from the US government a hundred years ago produced fruitful bounty that has provided an impetus to the re-growth of an ancient civilization, hence the beginning of our story-telling.

A group of prominent Tsinghua scholars and alumni will be interviewed about their university years. Their classmates, friends in the US, students and mentees in China will also be included to give a comprehensive and yet personal account describing the impact of their American experiences on their own lives.

We will engage young American and Chinese journalists and film makers in the process of producing our films or other media presentations. The students at TSJC will be actively involved so as to provide them a hands-on learning experience. We strongly believe that people get to know each other best when they work together toward a common goal. All our productions will have both Chinese and English versions.

A partnership between TSJC and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism has been initiated. Possible joint faculty research projects and student summer internships are areas of interest. Inviting top journalists and scholars to TSJC to participate in distinguished lecture series as well as organizing documentary film festivals to promote positive reporting are also under consideration.