（2011年韩国教育电视台纪录片节论坛发言稿，包含有齐放等放映项目的英文介绍，暂无中文）
I became a critic of independent Chinese cinema around 2000. From those activities, I co-created Ciff (China Independent Film Festival, in Nanjing, each October) in 2003, published two books in 2002 and 2004.
In 2003, filmmakers prefered that I represent them in conversation with Chinese cinema administration: I did it before and I m still doing it. In 2005, filmmakers prefered that I co-produce their works, so I created Indie Workshop in Beijing, we worked together on a dozen titles till now, mainly fictions.
I created campus touring screenings in 2006, first possibility in its’ genre in China. This circle existed for more than 4 years, we toured in 15 cities, around 30 universities, to show indie Chinese movies to students, mainly documentaries, about workers’ conditions, education’s problems, hunger, urbanization…
In 2011, we stopped campus touring – for financial reason, to create two other circuits: Isaas and CC Qifang. Both do not need extra financial help. We started in April. The purpose is quite similar to campus tour: to show Chinese indie movies. But we are working on larger scale: we have activities in about 10 cities each month, we also show international art cinema works.
Isaas is Indie Screening Alliance of Art Space. We work with 7 art institutions in 6 cities in China in 2011, we will extend it abroad in 2012.
Cinephile Collective is a collective composed by indie event organizers in different venues. We screen 2 or 8 movies per month in 8 or 12 cities. We hope reach 30 cities at end 2012.
Why?
To be a louder voice!
I describe today’s context as a parellelism of universes, which metamorphoses sometimes into crossing layers – only temporaryly. I describe today’s human existence by its’ contacts with others, we exist as a precise point or as a moving trace. One point is separated from another, they could even move along without connection with others (so parallelism). Crossing could creat a temporary effect in which points (individuals) form a compact converging circle (utopia) in which a supposed unlimited communication could happen. Conventionally we call this an event or a festival. Academically I try to call it an green island in the ocean of time or temporary utopia.
One other reason is less academic and more political. In China, main stream represents 99% instead of a possible more healthy proportion. The ideological unanimity represses what I call an absolute minority or an extreme minority, which represents less than 1%. Lucky or unlucky, I am in this 1%. I arrange collective appointments for filmmakers and audience who like to show their difference.
Optimist? Yes, perhaps we could transfom this absolute minority into a relative minority.
The complete paper contains presentations of Indie Workshop, ISAAS and Qifang CC. The seminar presentation will be mainly PPT or PDF introductions of ISAAS and Qifang CC.
Zhang xianmin
June 2011
In Beijing
