Canadian Films on Beijing-Censored Topic Face Disruption at Ontario Film Festival; Chinese Interference Abroad

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti (R) poses with members of New Century Films and festival organizers at the Markham International Film Festival in Markham, Ont., on July 15, 2023. Courtesy of New Century Films

Brian Fang was thrilled when he heard the name of the film production company he works for called for recognition during an awards ceremony at the Markham International Film Festival on July 16.

“Our films are about good values and upholding morals, and so I thought it’s wonderful to receive the recognition,” said Mr. Fang, who has appeared as an actor in productions by New Century Films, based in north of Toronto.

But the happy feeling soon turned to one of embarrassment. Upon making his way to the front to receive the recognition certificate, he was turned away after Markham city councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci, who was handing out the certificates, was seen commenting to one of the organizers, who then told Mr. Fang there had been a mistake and that the film had already been given a certificate.

“It was embarrassing because everyone was clapping when they called our name, and now I had to go back to my seat,” the young actor said in an interview.

This was one of several peculiar incidents experienced by the film company at the two-day festival in July.

Two more incidents at events in Asia this summer made Mr. Fang and his colleagues suspect that Beijing’s long arm was involved.

One was at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea where an organizer said Hua Chunying, a high-ranking official in China’s foreign affairs ministry, personally intervened to ensure the film company didn’t receive any recognition, New Century Films says.

The other was in Malaysia, where the government intervened, saying screening the company’s film would damage diplomatic relations with China. The Epoch Times has seen the documents issued by the Malaysian government and the theatre management affirming this.

Peculiarities at Markham Film Festival

New Century Films submitted two films to the 2023 Markham International Film Festival, “The Power of Compassion” and “Silver Screen Dreams,” held at city hall in Markham, north-east of Toronto.

Brian Fang, an actor and a member of New Century Films. Courtesy New Century Films

The first is a short film that centres around the impact of compassion in everyday interactions, while the second is a feature film that tells the story of an accomplished actress who strives to overcome a major setback.

“A story about pain, healing, and forgiveness,” reads part of the company’s synopsis of the film.

Both films feature scenes showing Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, a meditation practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, whose adherents in China are heavily persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“Silver Screen Dreams” also features scenes of the CCP’s Cultural Revolution and the destruction and suffering it caused.

Grace Wei, a producer with the film company, says that on the first day of the festival in Markham on July 15, they were approached by the organizers before the opening ceremony and were told they would be given certificates of recognition issued by the mayor of Markham, Frank Scarpitti, and the city council. She says that they were told the mayor himself would hand them the certificates.

Ms. Wei says her colleagues talked with the mayor before the opening ceremony and they said he was very warm and welcoming, and said he would take photos with them after the opening ceremony.

However, she says, after the ceremony his demeanour changed.

Ms. Wei says she and her colleagues observed that as the mayor was coming out of the ceremony, he was surrounded by some councillors, and that by their gestures, she sensed that they were talking about the film company.

She says that afterwards, Mayor Scarpitti wasn’t warm and friendly like he had been earlier. During the photo shoot on the red carpet with New Century Films representatives, he refused invitations to stand in the middle to hand out the certificates as they posed for photos, and appeared “reluctant” to be there and just stood on the side for the photo, Ms. Wei says.

In the end, it was the festival organizers who handed out the recognition certificates to the film crew in the photo shoot, even though the certificates are issued by the mayor and city council, not the festival.

Mr. Fang, the actor, says a conversation he had with one of the festival organizers the next day helped put the incident into context for him.

He says that during a question and answer session after “Power of Compassion” was screened at the festival on July 16, one of his colleagues explained that the film isn’t allowed to be screened in China. He adds that before his colleague finished talking about that issue, one of the organizers had his hand up to ask a question. When they pointed to him to ask his question, the organizer said Mr. Fang’s colleague had “just answered my question.”

Mr. Fang says after the session was over, the organizer told him privately that he was touched by the film, and said he now understood why the mayor was “stopped” from giving out the certificates by a councillor. He says the organizer mentioned the name of the councillor involved, but because he wasn’t familiar with the names of the councillors, he’s now not clear what that name was.

The Epoch Times reached out to Mayor Scarpitti’s office multiple times for comment, but didn’t hear back.

Certificate Incident

On July 16 at the beginning of the awards ceremony, the emcee announced that before the awards for the different categories would be given out, councillor Collucci would be issuing certificates to “selected” film submissions, without elaborating what the criteria for the selection were.

After one of the certificates was handed out to another filmmaker and he went up to the front to take a photo with the councillor and organizers, the emcee then called the name of New Century Films to be recognized for its “Power of Compassion” film.

Markham City Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci at an event in Markham, Ont., on April 14, 2018. The Epoch Times

In footage shot at the awards ceremony, after the emcee calls the name of the company and the film, Ms. Collucci can be seen turning toward one of the organizers and making some comments after the emcee’s announcement. The organizer then comes toward Mr. Fang to turn him away. The footage shows Mr. Fang returning a second time, and being turned away once again.

Mr. Fang said he went back to ensure there was no miscommunication, but the organizer said “please, please, please,” while gesturing for him to go away.

The organizers are then seen conferring with each other. The emcee then tells the audience that the film had already been given the certificate the previous day.

Mr. Fang says he has attended several awards ceremonies in the past, and has also seen many others on TV, but has never seen such treatment.

“Even if in a ceremony they announce the wrong name, they don’t come and try to block you with their body, they just apologize and explain. It seems they didn’t want me to get even close to the front,” he says.

Councillor Collucci left the awards ceremony early, after helping to hand out certificates as well as some of the awards for the different categories. Other dignitaries were then called to the front to help give out the awards. “Silver Screen Dreams” won the award for “Best Makeup and Hairstyling.”

The Epoch Times contacted Ms. Collucci multiple times for comment, including on her apparent reaction after the name of New Century Films was announced, but didn’t hear back.

A film festival spokesperson told The Epoch Times that the city council and mayoral certificates were issued for “selected filmmakers.”

“Award ceremony happened Sunday [July 16] evening at 7 PM. At that time no Mayor or Counselors were there. Only 1 councilor came and gave Her appreciation certificate to the organization and she left for her another schedul [sic],” a person who signed as “Dayana. S” said in an email on behalf of the festival.

Film Company’s Concern

Ms. Wei says she is concerned about the odd incidents that have occured, and worries if any outside influence on the council was involved.

She says many of the film company’s crew, who are of Chinese heritage and have family back home in China, have experienced interference by the CCP.

“All of our Chinese staff have had their family members contacted and harassed by the CCP authorities back home,” Ms. Wei said.

In Markham, which is home to a large Chinese community, there have been many instances of interference by the Chinese regime.

Two of the secret Chinese police stations recently revealed in the Greater Toronto Area are located in Markham. There are also many Markham-based community organizations that take stances aligned with those of Beijing. In addition, the area is among those where the Conservatives said they experienced a large decline in support amid reports of widespread CCP interference in the last two federal elections.

On Feb. 11, 2020, Markham city council chamber was packed with community members and activists wanting to weigh in on whether the city should continue a policy that would allow the raising of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) flag outside city hall. This was amid heightened awareness of the CCP’s human rights abuses, including at the time the arbitrary incarceration of Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

City council eventually voted 8–5 to keep the existing policy on the raising of foreign flags.

Among those voting to keep the policy were Mayor Scarpitti and councillor Collucci. Former Ontario cabinet Minister Michael Chan, who is now deputy mayor of Markham, also spoke in support of keeping the policy at the time, according to YorkRegion.com.

Along with Mr. Chan, Ms. Collucci has also been in frequent attendance at events featuring the Toronto-based Chinese Consul general, including celebrations of the anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

Mr. Chan didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Busan Festival and Chinese Foreign Ministry

Also this summer, in June, Ethan Gu, an actor and awards liaison coordinator with New Century Films, contacted the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea about featuring “Silver Screen Dreams” at the festival.

Mr. Gu, who is fluent in both Chinese and Korean, spoke with an organizer at the festival four times.

Ethan Gu, an actor and member of the New Century Films. Courtesy New Century Films

“The first two times, the organizer sounded very pleasant and said that there should be no problem for ‘Silver Screen Dreams’ to be shortlisted for an award,” Mr. Gu said. He added that the organizer said only one Chinese juror had voiced opposition to the film’s selection.

By that time, Mr. Gu said, the film had received over 20 awards from different festivals, and the reported positive reaction of the jurors at the Busan festival was in line with past recognition.

But, he says, starting with their third conversation in August, the “organizer’s attitude took a drastic turn.”

He says that the organizer told him the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry had directly intervened in the selection of the film, and that the organizer specifically mentioned the name of Hua Chunying, China’s assistant minister of foreign affairs, as being involved in the intervention.

“The Busan festival was obviously under pressure by the CCP, and any recognition for ‘Silver Screen Dreams’ was forced to be cancelled,” Mr. Gu said.

The Epoch Times contacted the Busan International Film Festival for comment but didn’t hear back by publication time.

Mr. Gu, who has previously lived in South Korea, says there have been several recent cases in South Korea where it seems those in charge are afraid of losing out on certain benefits when it comes to the CCP.

He says a recent example is how Seoul’s two major theatres declined to host Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based classical Chinese dance company whose performances also include scenes showing persecution by the CCP in today’s China.

“Too many industries are financially tied to the CCP, so they are forced to follow the CCP,” Mr. Gu says.

But the sudden change in tone by the Busan festival organizer came on the heels of another incident in the summer, this time in Malaysia.

Directive in Kuala Lumpur

In June, New Century Films staff secured a licence from Malaysia’s National Film Development Corporation to distribute “Silver Screen Dreams” in the country. They also secured screening times followed by a meet-and-greet of the crew at the Amerin Cineplex theatre in Kuala Lumpur.

However, in August, the Ministry of Home Affairs wrote to New Century Films organizers saying that they can’t screen the film due to the Malaysian government’s concerns about relations with China.

“Falun Dafa is banned in China. The screening of films like this can impact diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China,” says the Aug. 7 statement in Malay seen by The Epoch Times.

Grace Wei, a producer with New Century Films. Courtesy New Century Films

Ms. Wei says at that point the organizers decided to make the attendance at the film screening, scheduled for October, by private invitation only, instead of selling public tickets.

However, on Oct. 4, one of the New Century Films organizers received a text message from the theatre manager saying that a Ministry of Home Affairs official visited the theatre, and said the Malaysian Special Branch intelligence agency had informed the ministry about the private screening.

“They say to stop the movie from showing,” says the text message, seen by The Epoch Times. “If not we can be fine [sic] and imprison [sic].”

The next day, three police officers came to the theatre and told the organizers and the theatre management that the film can’t be screened there, Ms. Wei said. She adds that the officers said they didn’t want to be there and were only following orders.

The theatre management asked the police officers if they had any authorized documentation to prove that even a private screening of the film was forbidden, Ms. Wei says. The officers said they didn’t have any documents to that effect but that a private screening at the theatre, which is considered a public venue, wasn’t allowed, she said. The theatre eventually cancelled the contract with the organizers under pressure, Ms. Wei says.

She says New Century Films organizers then arranged to hold the private screening of the film at a resort.

The Epoch Times contacted the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs as well as the Amerin Cineplex for comment but didn’t hear back.

Ms. Wei says she hopes officials in different countries won’t give in to pressure by the CCP, and will uphold freedoms instead.

“Our films are really beneficial to society. They promote good values. I hope more people can see them,” she said.