Leicester’s very own Chinese film festival “Electric Shadows” returns for the 4th edition.
Presented by the School of Creative Industries and Culture (CIC), part of the newly established Faculty of Arts, Technology and Culture (TAC) at DMU, Electric Shadows: Leicester Chinese Film Festival returns to Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre and Showcase Cinema de Lux between 24 November and 30 November.
The annual event is a cross-school collaboration between the Cultural Management Subject group and the Confucius Institute at De Montfort University (DMU).
Opening on Monday 24 November evening with the UK Premiere of Shore of Life (2025), this year’s festival continues to include cultural activities, performances, craft workshop and industry briefing in addition to an exciting line-up of new and classic films. This year’s theme focuses on “Motion and Emotion,” featuring new and classic titles.
Professor Yi Zhang, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute says: “The Chinese film festival is like a luminous window into China’s soul. Each film is a vivid brushstroke on a moving canvas, allowing audiences to travel through history, culture, and emotion, and to experience the warmth and depth of Chinese stories through the universal art of cinema.”
Dr Hiu Man Chan, the festival’s Co-Founder and Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries at DMU (also Founder of UK-China Film Collab) reflects on the festival’s journey: “Electric Shadows is a relatively new addition to many well-known festivals in the city of Leicester. It is a true adventure to work with different partners each year to nurture its growth, at the same time exploring a space for conversation via a shared passion in the cinema.”
This year’s programme line-up includes (24-30 November):
The Shore of Life (2025, Opening Film & UK Premiere), Showcase
Dir. Zhang Chi
Yingnuo, a single mother in her early thirties, makes the difficult decision to entrust her five-year-old daughter, Diu Du to her estranged father. She journeys back to her small hometown in Jiangnan, where they encounter him. Ying Dahai, a man who had previously severed all ties with her and vowed never to reconnect, becomes her reluctant guardian. Yingnuo’s drastic choice is driven by her long-held dream of competing in the prestigious World Fondant Cake Competition abroad. However, beneath this aspiration lies a deeper, hidden story that compels her to seek this separation. As the unreliable Ying Dahai employs various quirky tactics to prevent Yingnuo from leaving, their forced proximity sparks unexpected changes.
The Shore of Life, premiered at the 2025 Shanghai International Film Festival.
The Shadow’s Edge (2025), Showcase
Dir. Larry Yang
A crew of criminal prodigies disappears with billions, evading capture by outsmarting the formidable “Sky Eye” surveillance system. Desperate and outmaneuvered, the Macau police enlist the help of a legend—Wong Tak-Chung (Jackie Chan), a retired tracking expert. He mentors rookie officer He Qiuguo (Zhang Zifeng) and rebuilds an elite surveillance unit. Their mission: to track down the elusive “Wolf King,” Fu Longsheng (Leung Ka Fai Tony), the mastermind behind the heist. As the police close in, the thieves spring a trap of their own. Brains clash, loyalties are tested, and the ultimate cat-and-mouse game is about to begin…
Black Dog (2024), Showcase
Dir. Guan Hu
On the edge of the Gobi Desert in Northwest China, Lang returns to his hometown after being released from jail. While working for the local stray dog patrol team, clearing the town before the 2008 Olympic Games, he strikes up an unlikely connection with a black dog. These two lonely souls now embark on a new journey together.
The first Chinese film in a decade to be longlisted at the BAFTA Film Awards and the winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, BLACK DOG has made history as the first Chinese-language film in 18 years to claim an award in the Un Certain Regard strand. Additionally, Xin, the Jack Russell-greyhound cross who stars as the lead canine, received the Grand Jury Prize at the Palm Dog Award.
Ping Pong (2012), Phoenix
Dir. Anson Hartford, Hugh Hartford
In Inner Mongolia players gather for the world over 80s table tennis championships. Meet Terry (81), who’s been given a week to live but he’s within reach of winning gold. Inge (89) has played her way out of the dementia ward. Australian Dorothy deLow (100) has become an unlikely celebrity in this extraordinary community, while Texan newcomer Lisa Modlich (85) is determined to claim her first championship title. A poignant reflection on ageing, resilience, and the unbreakable will to live.
The Grandmaster, Phoenix
Dir. Wong Kar-wai
In 1930s Foshan, martial arts master Ip Man lives a quiet life until the arrival of Gong Yutian, who seeks a successor to his family’s legacy in Southern China. Ip Man’s encounter with Yutian’s daughter, Gong Er, leads to a duel that intertwines honour, rivalry, and destiny. A visually stunning epic by Wong Kar Wai, The Grandmaster captures the poetry, discipline, and heartbreak at the heart of martial arts tradition.
Chinese craft workshop + Ne Zha 2 (2025), Phoenix
Dir. Yang Yu
Ne Zha, a demon child raised by humans, forms an uneasy alliance with the Loong prince Ao Bing in an epic battle to protect their clans. In the aftermath, their bodies teeter on the edge of destruction. Ne Zha must now embark on a perilous quest to obtain an elixir to restore Ao Bing’s body. Crafted over five years by a team of 4,000 animators, this groundbreaking, visually spectacular animation is now the world’s highest grossing animated film.
Industry Briefing, Phoenix
Learn about East Asian film festivals to which emerging filmmakers can submit their work, the latest box office performance analysis, successful UK projects in the region, and new collaboration case studies.
Panda Plan (2024, Closing Film), Phoenix
Dir. Luan Zhang
Soon after legendary action star Jackie Chan is invited to adopt a rare baby panda named HuHu, a notorious international crime syndicate sets its sights on the panda, offering a massive bounty for his capture!
Jackie, portraying himself as an aging international action star, finds himself drawn into a high-stakes “rescHu” mission. Teaming up with his agent and Hu Hu’s caretaker, Jackie must outwit—and outfight—the villains at every turn.
Knockabout-fun billed as Chan’s last action comedy, Panda Plan sees him returning to the crowd-pleasing fight scenes of his nineties hits Mr. Nice Guy and Rush Hour.
A new sponsor
Now in its 4th edition, this year’s momentum has attracted one of Asia’s most established multinational financial enterprises.
Hantec Group founded in 1990, is committed to delivering a wide spectrum of global services, covering finance, information technology, creative culture, art collection, public utilities, advertising, and marketing.
The Group has obtained 12 internationally recognised financial regulatory licences, including those issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
At the centre of the Group’s vision is Mr. Yu Lap Tang, an entrepreneur, financier, collector, traveller, author, and photographer and founder. He has visited 151 countries, published 21 books and 3 photography collections, and held more than 30 photography exhibitions worldwide.
Jewel Wu, Sales and Marketing Director at Hantec, attended the opening night of Electric Shadows to meet and network with guests, students and academic, said: “We are proud to play a part in bringing these cultural stories to the world.
“Showcasing both timeless classics and contemporary releases, the festival brings a week of powerful storytelling, visual artistry, and cultural expression to the UK audience.
“At Hantec, we believe that cultural inclusion is an essential pillar of corporate social responsibility. Our sponsorship reflects Hantec’s dedication to creating long-term value and contributing positively to society.”
The festival continues to offer internship opportunities for students from Arts and Festival Management BA and Cultural Events Management MSc. What makes this year special, is that the ocassion involved 13 students from Leicester College to be part of the organising team on the opening night.
For the festival’s booking information, please visit Phoenix and Showcase’s websites.
Notes: NGO UK-China Film Collab have been involved of the creation of this festival brand since its inception in 2022, as well a co-funder. Unlike previous years, our Founder Dr Hiu Man Chan has decided to dedicate all the official public credits to De Montfort University, where she has a full-time role as an academic.
