Mint Chinese Film Festival

Mint Chinese Film Festival (MINT CFF) is an award-winning social enterprise and festival founded by Chinese film curator Yixiang Shirley Lin and Keswick Alhambra Cinema’s co-owner Dr Carol Rennie. We are the first women-organised Chinese film festival in the UK focussed on cross-cultural communication and the representation of women supporting Chinese creators, women/non-binary filmmakers and artists, as well as those from other underrepresented groups.

We hold an annual film festival in Keswick, around Chinese New Year, and together with a large network of contacts and volunteers curate and organise screenings, touring projects, and other cultural and artistic events across the UK and abroad. Our year-round activities have attracted over 5,500 attendees in the UK, with 75% identifying as Chinese or ESEA heritage, 70% as female or non-binary, and 16% as LGBTQ+ allies.

Based in the beautiful Lake District, the annual MINT Chinese Film Festival celebrates the diversity and creativity of Chinese cinema. The 1st and 2nd editions of the festival concluded on February 5, 2023, and February 4, 2024, at Keswick Alhambra Cinema, with more than 2,200 attendees joining this cultural extravaganza.

The 3rd edition of the MINT Chinese Film Festival returns to Keswick from Feb 21st to 23rd, 2025! We’re bringing over 30 of the best Chinese and Asian films, featuring curated film programmes and screenings, a festival gala, exciting UK, EU, and world premieres, director Q&As, and an inspiring curatorial workshop.
Alongside the film festival, enjoy the first-ever outdoor Asian Arts & Craft Market, along with a series of complimentary cultural activities and lakeside walks involving MINTers and the whole town: a full Chinese New Year extravaganza in Keswick!

We’ve received over 470 submissions from Chinese and Asian filmmakers, as well as diasporic talents who are shaping the landscape of Chinese and Asian cinema through the 2025 Call for Entries. This year we are expanding our curatorial focus beyond Chinese cinema to include a broader Asian presence. This includes the introduction of a new dimension, ‘Asia Sparks,’ into our feature film competition. More info about 2025 submission guidelines and competition sections can be found here:https://www.unicornscreening.com/submissions

Our Vision

We are dedicated to curating for underrepresented voices, images, and stories, actively discovering and supporting Chinese film creators, emerging women filmmakers and artists, and gender-diverse directors. Starting with the 3rd edition, we are expanding our curatorial focus beyond Chinese cinema to include a broader Asian presence. We aim to introduce a diverse range of independent and pioneering Chinese films and Asian films in UK cinemas and other cultural and artistic works (especially those created by women) to regions which rarely have the opportunity to engage with Chinese and AsIan cinema and culture.

Our wish for 2025 3rd MINT CFF

Carol Rennie, co-founder of the MINT CFF and director of the Keswick Alhambra Cinema, said: “The call is out now for volunteers to help at the MINT Chinese Film Festival, and the town once again looks forward to welcoming a host of Chinese-speaking film buffs from across the UK to enjoy a fantastic selection of original films from the Chinese speaking world — as well as wider Asian content — and hopes once again to attract large numbers of locals too, to dip into Chinese culture and get an insight to the fascinating world of Chinese film, primarily by, or reflecting the experiences of, Chinese women.”

Yixiang Lin, who is co-founder and lead curator of MINT Chinese Film Festival, said: “I can’t believe we’re stepping into the third edition of MINT CFF in Keswick, a lovely place I first visited alone for Carol’s collaboration proposal on running a Chinese film festival in 2022. “ am so proud of us for introducing the best Chinese cinema to local audiences in the past two years.I am very grateful that we haven’t given up working on this dream-like festival but the pressing issues, like visas, fundings, and life changing circumstances, are concerning all of us. If there isn’t anyone like us passionate about Chinese cinema and cross-cultural communication, then who else can make it engage and keep this alive? This year, our curatorial focus expands beyond Chinese cinema to embrace a broader Asian presence, with the introduction of the ‘Asian Spark’ competition category and a new co-event-Asian market with our friend at Hello Art.” “I can’t wait to fly from Beijing to Keswick and meet our team and women from the community in Keswick next February.”

more info please read the local newspaper :https://keswickreminder.co.uk/2024/12/17/plans-to-expand-keswicks-chinese-film-festival-with-asian-market/

Professional Associations & Networks

We are a member of the ICO International Film Festival Network, the first Chinese film festival to join, representing Asian festival organisers both UK-wide and internationally.