The Unfolding Story of the IndieChina Film Festival: A Canceled Vision of Independent Cinema

In a poignant turn of events, the inaugural IndieChina Film Festival, set to spotlight independent Chinese cinema in New York City, has been suspended just two days before its opening on November 8, 2025. The festival’s director, Zhu Rikun, had meticulously planned the event for months, only to face a heartbreaking cancellation due to alarming reports of harassment against participating filmmakers and their families.

Zhu, who has dedicated nearly two decades to promoting independent cinema in China, expressed his frustration and disappointment as he arrived daily at the vacant venue, using the space as a platform for protest. “It was not the film festival that I prepared for,” he told NBC News, a sentiment echoed by many in the independent film community.

The decision to suspend the festival came after Zhu received distressing messages indicating that filmmakers, directors, and producers from China were experiencing harassment, likely linked to their participation in the event. While many participants withdrew for unspecified “personal reasons,” a few disclosed that they were pressured by Chinese authorities to step back from the festival. Zhu’s hope was that the cancellation would lead to a cessation of the harassment faced by those involved in the festival, including friends and family.

Despite the cancellation, Zhu’s commitment to independent filmmaking remains unwavering. He continues to gather at the venue, screening films and engaging in discussions, reaffirming his identity as a filmmaker and curator. “Independent filmmaking in China is really difficult; it is extremely different from before,” he remarked, illustrating the challenges faced by artists in an increasingly repressive environment.

Zhu’s journey in independent cinema began long before his relocation to New York City a decade ago. He co-founded the Beijing Independent Film Festival, which, like many others, faced severe crackdowns after President Xi Jinping’s rise to power in 2012. Human Rights Watch has documented the systematic shutdown of independent film festivals in China, a trend that Zhu knows all too well. “Eventually, all of my film festivals were banned, none of them could continue,” he lamented.

The IndieChina Film Festival was conceived as an opportunity to showcase independent Chinese films free from censorship, but its cancellation highlights the lengths to which the Chinese government will go to control narratives about the country. Yalkun Uluyol, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated, “This latest act of transnational repression demonstrates the Chinese government’s aim to control what the world sees and learns about China.”

As the world watches this unfolding story, the silence from the Chinese Embassy in Washington regarding the festival’s cancellation raises further questions about the implications of state control over artistic expression. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a response to inquiries, downplayed the situation, claiming unfamiliarity with the festival’s specific circumstances and dismissing Human Rights Watch as biased against China.

The IndieChina Film Festival may have been halted, but its story is a testament to the resilience of independent filmmakers and the ongoing struggle for creative freedom in the face of oppression. As Zhu Rikun continues to advocate for independent cinema, the hope remains that one day, artists will be able to share their stories without fear of reprisal.