China’s independent film scene, once vibrant, now lies in ruins—shattered bricks and scattered debris. Yet survivors and newcomers continue to gather these fragments, seeking to rebuild hope through the power of cinema. Co-hosted by Non-profit JF Books and the Sinovisual Culture and Art Institute and CIFA, in collaboration with George Washington University, Georgetown University, USCET, and CAF, the inaugural 2025 Screening of Sinophone Independent Films opens a raw and authentic window onto China’s grassroots realities. At the same time, it interlaces Taiwanese documentaries with voices from Hong Kong, Uyghurs, the Philippines, and Africa—together sketching the silhouette of independent cinema’s resilient soul amid the ruins.

Theme of the festival: “Real Edges: Identity, Struggle, and Memory in a Shifting World”

What drives a Uyghur father and daughter to defy China’s censorship in Xinjiang? How do they preserve their bond amid cultural erasure? All Static & Noise unveils their fight for truth with haunting visuals and raw testimonies, stirring curiosity about resilience in a silenced land.