Anant Singh announced today that the internationally acclaimed film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom will be released in China on 18 July through China Film Group Corporation, the state film distribution body.
China Film Group Corporation will release Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom on more than 1 000 screens in China. This is the first time that a South African film will have a wide release in China, on the same terms as Hollywood studio films. It is further significant as the release takes place on the anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birthday and also coincides with the formalisation of a two-year cultural exchange programme between South Africa and China that was launched in Beijing in April.
Producer Anant Singh commented: “The release of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom in China is indeed fortuitous, especially as it is on Madiba’s birthday and that it will be the first year that the world will commemorate this special occasion after his passing. The film will provide an opportunity for Chinese audiences to celebrate Madiba’s life and pay tribute to him as a global icon and leader who is revered and respected in China. We are pleased that the release of the film takes place at the time of the country-to-country cultural exchange programme between South Africa and China. We are also delighted that we are releasing Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom in China during a booming market for foreign films.”
Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom will be screened on 18 July at the Isola del Cinema in Rome and at the Ischia Global Fest on the Italian island of Ischia. The film will be screened as the finale to the Rwanda International Film Festival on 18 July.
