6 screening groups that show indie and documentary films
Shanghai has the largest number of film screens in China, yet the films you can actually watch on them are not as diverse. Apart from a few festivals where cinephiles can devour hundreds of indie films over a few days, there are in fact more places to catch arthouse and independent films around town. From European masters to Chinese auteurs, and from queer cinema to screenings of live theatre, here's where to find them.
Shanghai SFDEA
Photograph: Kilyan Sockalingum via Unsplash
Established in 2013, Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association (Shanghai SFDEA) organises year-round screenings of arthouse and documentary films with an emphasis on independent productions in Chinese. Participating cinemas include well-known names such as SFC Hengshan Lu, Grand Theatre on Nanjing Xi Lu and Palace Cinema at IAPM. Recent screenings paid tribute to masters from around the globe – think GW Pabst and Pedro Almodóvar.
📍Search WeChat ID 'sfdeaysdylm' for screening schedules.
CINEMQ
A nonprofit run by volunteers who identify as queer, this monthly screening event shows short films and visual projects of all genres with a focus on Chinese and East Asian queer screen culture, followed by an afterparty that's free of charge. Screenings take place in various venues around town and stick loosely to a theme that's open to interpretation. In 2018, the collective also made its first production, documentary Extravaganza, about Shanghai's vibrant drag scene.
📍Search WeChat ID 'CINEMQ' for more info.
Green Drinks
In hopes of raising awareness and stimulating change, environmental nonprofit Green Initiatives organises monthly screenings of films and documentaries that focus on environmental issues such as population growth, habitat loss, consumption and waste, animal extinction and climate change. Screenings are followed by a Q&A session.
📍Search WeChat ID 'greeninitiatives' for more info.
Movie night at The Pearl
Tucked in a historical building on Zhapu Lu, this cabaret bar organises classic or cult film screenings every Tuesday night, free of charge. Recent showings include The Hateful Eight, Hero, Dreamgirls, Sister Act and Edward Scissorhands. The bar also hosts indie film events and filmmaker Q&As from time to time.
📍The Pearl, 471 Zhapu Lu, near Haining Lu. Search WeChat ID 'lovethepearl' for more info.
Moetown OmS Theatre
Nestled on the sixth floor of Moetown, a coworking space on Tianshan Lu, OmS Theatre (Other Movie Stuff) has a 230-sqm screening room solely for showing stage productions from the world's leading theatres such as The Old Vic, Royal Opera House and National Theatre. A strange feeling to watch stage productions captured on film indeed, however you'll get used to it quickly and find it surprisingly satisfying.
📍OmS Theatre, Moetown, Sixth Floor, Bldg 2, Bingo Plaza, 345 Tianshan Lu, near Weining Lu.
ColdMe
What started as a writing project about independent movies, ColdMe grew into a group that hosts indie screenings across China including in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou and developed its own WeChat Mini Program that recommends different films. Monthly screenings take place at spaces like museums and bookshops, and the group accepts registration of only about 30 people per showing depending on the venue.
📍Search WeChat ID 'Coldstudio' for more info.
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