Leicester’s expanding creative landscape will enable the city to grow its global influence and became a cultural melting pot for cinema, according to the co-founder of the city’s first Chinese film festival.
Presented by De Montfort University (DMU) Leicester’s School of Creative Industries and Culture (CIC), Electric Shadows is a seven-day film festival dedicated to the celebration of contemporary Chinese cinema.
Now in its fourth year, the festival returns to Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre and Showcase Cinema de Lux with a programme of seven movies, which will be screened between Monday 24 and Sunday 30 November.
Leicester is quickly gaining a reputation as a hotbed for independent cinema, showcasing stories from a range of vibrant cultures that call the city home.
Location Leicester, an initiative from independent production company 52 Stone Film, has teamed with Visit Leicester to potentially establish the development of a dedicated film office for the city. Dan Edwards, the CEO was invited to be an honorary MC for the opening evening.
DMU itself boasts a rich pedigree of supporting independent cinema. Earlier this year, DMU’s Professor Jason Lee provided funding for the film 22+1, through his organisation Evolved Film, which he established with Terry Bamber.
The film went on to have its UK premiere at the prestigious London Film Festival in October.
Students from Arts and Festival Management BA and Programme Lead Simon Brown
The university is also home to the Cinema and Television History (CATH) group, which is currently working with Film is Fabulous to preserve, catalogue and screen rare British film and TV footage.
This year’s Electric Shadows Festival kicks off with the UK premiere of ‘The Shore of Life’, which follows the story of a single mother reluctantly entrusting her estranged father to look after her daughter while she travels abroad for a competition.
The annual event is a cross-school collaboration between the Cultural Management Subject group and DMU’s Confucius Institute.
As is now tradition with Electric Shadows, the Confucius Institute is also hosting a programme of cultural activities to run as part of the film festival offering, which includes performances and craft workshops in addition to an exciting line-up of new and classic films.
Professor Yi Zhang, Co-director of the Confucius Institute, said: “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.
The festival co-founder, Dr Hiu Man Chan, a senior lecturer in the Creative Industries at DMU, believes new backing from Hong Kong-based international financial services firm Hantec Group will help Electric Shadows drive Leicester into a new age of global cultural exchange.
She said: “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.
“For me, conversation is a vital contribution to the SDG 11 that DMU advocates as an UN Academic Impact Hub. The new sponsorship enables new partners to visit Leicester for the first time, and to discover cultural exchange activities outside of the capital.”
Jewel Wu, Sales and Marketing Director at Hantec, attended the opening night of Electric Shadows and said: “We are proud to play a part in bringing these cultural stories to the world.
“Showcasing both timeless classics and contemporary releases, the festival brings a week of powerful storytelling, visual artistry, and cultural expression to the UK audience.
“At Hantec, we believe that cultural inclusion is an essential pillar of corporate social responsibility. Our sponsorship reflects Hantec’s dedication to creating long-term value and contributing positively to society.”
The full line-up of this year’s Electric Shadows Festival is below:
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
More information about Electric Shadows is available on the Phoenix website.
Posted on Tuesday 25 November 2025