Searching for Kung Fu International Film Festival
Hosted Annually at Gate of Nine Dragons Cultural Center, Beijing, China.
Searching for Kung Fu International Film Festival seeks creative approaches to traditional martial arts values of perseverance, loyalty, balance, harmony, centering, and using martial arts to promote non-violence.
Genre selections may vary from classic martial arts films, to contemporary lifestyle stories that include these values. Categories range from feature, documentary, music video, martial arts teaching, and action choreography.
Searching for Kung Fu International Film Festival was inspired by the award-winning documentary “Searching for Kung Fu” that inspired many martial arts film directors to pursue traditional martial arts values through new means of creative and experimental expression alongside classic Kung Fu genre films.
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Gate of Nine Dragons is a historic courtyard house in Beijing’s inner city ancient heritage protection zone. The neighborhood was famous in the late Qing Dynasty and Republican era for having many martial arts studios in small courtyard homes. The first motion picture studio in Beijing was also established in this neighborhood. Site-seeing to the different historic locations can be arranged for participants in the festival.
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Gate of Nine Dragons courtyard house today serves as a cultural center hosting a variety of music, art and film salons throughout the year. Gate of Nine Dragons interiors exude with a Kung Fu theme. Old posters of classic Kung Fu films, antique martial arts weapons, and heritage furniture from the Qing and Republican era adorn the premises, allowing participants in the festival to be in Kung Fu nostalgia when just entering the the front door of Gate of Nine Dragons.
Searching for Kung Fu International Film Festival events
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Gate of Nine Dragons symbolizes nine traditional martial arts values: perseverance, loyalty, balance, change, centering, harmony, flow, emptiness, and non-violence. The theme of films should include some aspect of these values.
