Leicester is stepping into a new chapter. As this year’s edition of Electric Shadows returns, the city’s homegrown Chinese film festival is no longer just a celebration of moving images — it has become a marker of Leicester’s expanding creative landscape and its growing influence in global cultural exchange.
Presented by the School of Creative Industries and Culture (CIC), part of the newly established Faculty of Arts, Technology and Culture (TAC) at De Montfort University (DMU), Electric Shadows: Leicester Chinese Film Festival returns to Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre and Showcase Cinema de Lux between 24 November and 30 November.
The annual event is a cross-school collaboration between the Cultural Management Subject group and the Confucius Institute.
Opening on Monday 24 November evening with the UK Premiere of Shore of Life (2025), this year’s festival continues to include cultural activities, performances, craft workshop and industry briefing in addition to an exciting line-up of new and classic films.
Professor Yi Zhang, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute says: “The Chinese film festival is like a luminous window into China’s soul. Each film is a vivid brushstroke on a moving canvas, allowing audiences to travel through history, culture, and emotion, and to experience the warmth and depth of Chinese stories through the universal art of cinema.”
Dr Hiu Man Chan, Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries at DMU reflects on the festival’s journey: “Electric Shadows is a relatively new addition to many well-known festivals in the city of Leicester. It is a true adventure to work with different partners each year to nurture its growth, at the same time exploring a space for conversation via a shared passion in the cinema.”
This year’s programme line-up includes (24-30 November):
The Shore of Life (2025, Opening Film & UK Premiere), Showcase
The Shadow’s Edge (2025), Showcase
Black Dog (2024), Showcase
Ping Pong (2012), Phoenix
The Grandmaster, Phoenix
Chinese craft workshop + Ne Zha 2 (2025), Phoenix
Industry Briefing, Phoenix
Panda Plan (2024, Closing Film), Phoenix
Now in its 4th edition, this year’s momentum has attracted one of Asia’s most established multinational financial enterprises.
Hantec Group founded in 1990, is committed to delivering a wide spectrum of global services, covering finance, information technology, creative culture, art collection, public utilities, advertising, and marketing.
The Group has obtained 12 internationally recognised financial regulatory licences, including those issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
At the centre of the Group’s vision is Mr. Yu Lap Tang, an entrepreneur, financier, collector, traveller, author, and photographer and founder. He has visited 151 countries, published 21 books and 3 photography collections, and held more than 30 photography exhibitions worldwide.
The festival continues to offer internship opportunities for students from Arts and Festival Management BA and Cultural Events Management MSc at De Montfort University. What makes this year special, is that it welcomed 13 students from Leicester College to be part of the organising team on the opening night.
For the festival’s booking information, please visit Phoenix and Showcase’s websites.
