On the evening of May 14, 2026 (French time), the 2026 Cannes Film Festival “China Night” & Golden Coast Gala was successfully held at Plage des Palmes, the official beach of the Cannes Marché du Film. As an officially sanctioned event of the Cannes Marché du Film, this year’s edition themed “Wisdom Illuminates the East · The Future Has Arrived” gathered over a thousand guests, including leading figures in the Chinese and French film industries, cultural artists, and international partners, for a grand international gala blending film, culture, art, and technology. For the first time, the event featured “technology + art” as its dual highlights, presenting a spectacular international celebration of film, culture, and cutting-edge innovation.
Technology Lights Up the Red Carpet, Eastern Aesthetic Sets the Tone
This year’s China Night opened with a new form of cross-border integration at the welcome ceremony. The Magic Lab intelligent robot and Jia Yuan, Chair of the Organizing Committee, greeted guests together in a “human–robot welcome”—a standout highlight.
Distinguished attendees included He Youlin, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Marseille; Jiao Hongfen, Chair of the China Film Producer’s Association; Luis Alberto Scalella, President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations; Guillaume Esmiol, Director of the Cannes Marché du Film; Thomas de Pariente, Deputy Mayor of Cannes; as well as Jiao Xiongping, Chief Advisor of China Night, and Jiang Ping, Artistic Director of China Night, alongside other Chinese and French political and industry representatives.
Breaking from the traditional cocktail format, the opening featured a suona performance of excerpts from Black Myth: Wukong. The powerful, resonant tones of this iconic Chinese folk instrument instantly immersed guests in the narrative of China’s beloved myth. With its penetrating Eastern aesthetic melody, the performance set the tone for the evening: “Tradition Resonates with Modernity.”
Speeches by Chinese and French Guests: Building Bridges for Cultural Outreach
Key Chinese and French figures took the stage in turn, sharing diverse perspectives on China Night’s cultural mission and industry value.
Guillaume Esmiol, Director of the Cannes Marché du Film, reflected on long-standing cooperation with the Chinese film industry, emphasized China Night’s importance as an official Marché du Film event, and stated that Cannes will remain a bridge for Chinese cinema to the world.
He Youlin, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Marseille, praised the deep artistic ties between Chinese and French cinema, and expressed hope that more Chinese stories will reach French audiences.
Thomas de Pariente, Deputy Mayor of Cannes, welcomed China Night to Cannes and expressed his wish for it to become a long-term brand for bilateral cultural exchange.
Luis Alberto Scalella, President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, affirmed China’s growing importance in the global film industry from an international producer’s perspective.
Jiao Hongfen, Vice President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations & Chairman of China Film Producers’ Association, noted that the high-quality development of China’s film industry is energizing the global market, and that China Night serves as a vital window for cultural outreach.
Jia Yuan, Chair of the China Night Organizing Committee, warmly welcomed all guests and outlined the long-term vision: “China Night is not merely a cocktail party or an event—it is a sustained platform for exchange and co-creation. We hope it becomes a light, illuminating the path of Chinese stories to the world.”
Jiao Xiongping, Renowned Producer, Film Scholar & Chief Advisor of China Night, together with Jiang Ping, Artistic Director of China Night, expressed their hope that China Night will serve as a bridge for artistic exchange between China and the world, and encouraged young Chinese artists to uphold cultural confidence and present works imbued with Eastern wisdom and contemporary vitality to the global stage.
Stars Shine Bright: Projecting China’s Multifaceted Image
The evening featured the official presentation of China Night’s three Global Ambassadors: Li Shaohong (Global Image Ambassador), Liu Ye (Global Outreach Ambassador), and Lay Zhang (Global communication Ambassador). Jiao Hongfen, Jia Yuan, and Benoît Ginisty, President of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, presented honorary appointment letters to the three ambassadors, who pledged to build bridges through cinema and show the world China’s diverse beauty.
Li Shaohong, Global Image Ambassador, expressed her great honor and commitment to continuing to convey the diversity of Chinese cinema from a director’s perspective.
Liu Ye, Global Outreach Ambassador, shared his personal connection to the Cannes Film Festival. As part of a Sino-French family, he emphasized that cultural differences should not divide but bring people closer. He noted that a Chinese story touches French audiences not only through translation but through authentic emotion at its core. He believes that as more Chinese films reach global audiences, the world will see a true, three-dimensional, and warm China.
Lay Zhang, Global Communication Ambassador, described film as a universal language that transcends distance and connects hearts. He pledged to use this platform to show the world a real, vivid, and dynamic China, as well as the cultural responsibility of Chinese youth.
Inaugural Golden Coast Honors: Saluting Pioneers of Cultural Outreach
A highlight of the evening was the Inaugural Golden Coast Honors, launched to celebrate outstanding contributions to China’s cultural outreach. The honors aim to “honor original aspirations with glory, empower cultural outreach with grandeur”, recognizing exceptional film works, national brands, and intangible cultural heritage inheritors in the field of global cultural exchange.
Jiao Hongfen, Jiao Xiongping, Li Shaohong, Jiang Ping presented the honor to four outstanding Chinese productions: The Concierge, Cold War 1994, My Grandparents, Beyond the Window Lies the Blue Planet.
Jiang Ping presented the honor to Magic Lab for breakthroughs in high-tech global outreach.
Director Li Shaohong presented the honor to Junpei Jewelry.
Jia Yuan presented the honor to DYESOO (Duoyanshou).
Mike (Wu Yi Ge), Asia-Pacific Ambassador for Film and Cultural Exchange of China Night, presented the honor to Bai Xiao T.
Yuan Shanshan, Fashion Ambassador of China Night, presented the honor to Golden Tree.
Lay Zhang, Global Communication Ambassador of China Night, presented the honor to Zhou Liwei (paper-cutting) and Zhou Jin (horse-face skirt craftsmanship), inheritors of China’s intangible cultural heritage.
Liu Ye, Global Outreach Ambassador of China Night, presented the honor to: Chang Sisi, renowned Chinese coloratura soprano and Ambassador for ethnic culture promotion of China Night; Wang Xiaowei, renowned double keyboard (Electronic Pipe Organ) performer and Bokui, the celebrated painter.
Cinema as a Bridge, Mutual Appreciation of Civilizations
The evening culminated in a stunning audiovisual feast of East–West exchange: Anne Carrère, acclaimed French singer and heir to Edith Piaf’s legacy, performed the French classic Je Ne Regrette Rien, echoing China Night’s commitment to showcasing Chinese culture globally. Wang Xiaowei delivered a dual-keyboard + AI visual performance of Hero, blending technology and music to honor iconic cinematic figures. Chang Sisi performed Why Are the Flowers So Red in her signature coloratura style, merging Eastern melody with Western technique. Chen Yixuan, UNESCO International Peace Artist and guzheng performer, together with Shen Xiaolin, young traditional music inheritor, performed classic Chinese melodies on the guzheng.
During the cultural painting donation ceremony, Bokui, Sino-French Cultural Art Ambassador and master of freehand flower-and-bird painting, presented his original Chinese ink painting—featuring the rooster, beloved by both Chinese and French people—to representatives of the Cannes Marché du Film and the China Night Organizing Committee, embodying Eastern aesthetics.
From empowering Chinese filmmakers to shine globally, supporting Chinese films to sail overseas, and enabling national brands to go global, to promoting intangible cultural heritage to the world—China Night has always served as a dynamic platform for dialogue between China and the world.
On the stage of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, this year’s China Night marks a new chapter for Chinese cultural outreach with greater maturity and vision. Looking ahead, China Night will continue to unite filmmakers, cultural inheritors, and innovators, driving the broader international dissemination of Chinese stories and enabling the world to deeply appreciate China’s beauty.
Wisdom Illuminates the East · The Future Has Arrived. China Night, see you next year!
Company：Beijing Wing Sight Culture and Media Co., Ltd.
Contact Person: Yunyan Ding
Email: ttd@wingsight.com
Website: WingSight.com
City：Beijing, China
