A Collection of Critical Essays on the Post-Independence Photography Era

Independent Chinese cinema emerged in the 1990s, and by 2003, independent film festivals began appearing in Yunnan, Beijing, and Nanjing, China, echoing the development of Chinese civil society at the time. Unfortunately, with the suppression of civil society by the Chinese government, these independent film festivals were also "banned" after 2013, subsequently moving underground for screenings, a practice that continues to this day. To commemorate the "golden age" of independent film festivals (2003-2013), review the past of independent cinema, and look to the future, the "Post-Independent Film Festival Review Conference" was held in Taiwan in 2023. Over 30 Chinese independent directors from around the world were invited to participate in an online exchange, which led to the creation of this book. The book is divided into four sections: I. An archaeological study of the history of independent film festivals; II. Personal histories of independent filmmakers; III. Multi-faceted descriptions of the concrete work of filmmakers; and IV. Different academic perspectives articulated by curators and scholars.