Film screenings 10/16 - 10/19 in Culver City.
Thursday, October 16, 2025
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
The Culver Theater
9500 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Celebrating indie Chinese-language cinema, Alula Film Festival returns to L.A. at the Culver City Theater from October 16–19, 2025. The 2025 edition includes the official competition alongside spotlight screenings. A total of 18 feature and short films have been selected for the main competition, reflecting the festival’s ongoing commitment to showcasing bold and original Chinese-language cinema.
This year’s spotlight screenings section will highlight several highly anticipated titles from acclaimed filmmakers such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Wang Bing, Jia Zhangke, Guan Hu and Tsui Hark. A testament to this dynamic shift, six out of the eight feature-length films in competition are directorial debuts, underscoring the festival’s commitment to uplifting new and daring voices. Of the 20 directors selected (with several films being co-directed), 8 are female filmmakers, accounting for 40% of the total—reflecting a notable increasing trend.
This year’s theme, In the Making, highlights a moment of emergence. While Chinese-language cinema draws from a rich and storied legacy has a long and storied past, today’s filmmakers are charting bold new paths, embracing risk, experimentation, and deeply personal expressions. Alula 2025 celebrates this that spirit of becoming, reminding audiences that these films are not just finished works, but milestones in an ongoing journey of creativity and shared imagination.
You may find more details here: https://www.alulafilm.org/official-selections
Alula is a nonprofit organization dedicated to discovering and showcasing films created by and about Chinese- speaking communities around the world.
Founded in 2011, the Festival Committee strives to provide a global platform for Chinese-speaking filmmakers, films in the Chinese language, and/or films about Chinese-speaking cultures.
www.alulafilm.org/2025-festival