Chinese and Greater China films have a significant presence at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market, with multiple official selections and several market premieres being presented to international buyers.
Hong Kong-based Golden Network Asia will bring Jackie Chan’s latest drama “Unexpected Family” to market. The Chinese production, directed by Li Taiyan and co-starring Chan, Peng Yu-chan, and Zhang Jianning, is currently in theaters in multiple territories including China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Release in North America is scheduled for February.
The comedy-drama tells the story of Zhong Bufan (Peng), a penniless tenant struggling to survive in the city, who ends up living with an elderly landowner named Renfu (Zhang), who mistakes him for his estranged son. Under the same roof is Su Xiaoyue (Zhang), a drifting tenant chasing her dreams. Jia Ye (Pan), a middle-aged housing agent. and Jin Zheng (Lee), a warm-hearted neighbor who treats everyone like family. The ensemble cast navigate Dad Ren’s unexpected memory loss until Bu Fang uncovers a long-buried secret. Han Sanping will serve as executive producer, and the film will be produced by Wuhan Legend Film and Television Arts Co., Ltd., China Film Group, and Xiaoshan Pictures.
Parallax International Sales represents four films officially selected for various sections of the festival. Panorama will see Chinese director Agnis Shen Zhongming make her feature debut with Shanghai Girl. This work is a meditative work that combines fiction and documentary, focusing on the history of the director’s family. The film follows a Shanghai woman’s journey to a rubber farm in southwestern China where her father was sent after his death during the Cultural Revolution.
In the Forum section, Japanese choreographer and film director Nao Yoshigai will introduce his documentary “Seimu,” which chronicles his journey through Zen training after losing his mental and physical balance at the age of 34. North American rights have been acquired by Kani Releasing.
Two Chinese short films round out Parallax’s lineup. “Kleptomania” by Qu Jingkai in the short story competition category and “Scorching” directed by Wang Beidi from Generation 14plus. “Kleptomania” is set on a frigid Harbin night and depicts a young boy trapped in a cycle of violence, while “Scorching Heat” revolves around Li Yan, who refuses to work at a local poultry factory and is instead obsessed with hatching stolen eggs.
Parallax is also launching several new projects at EFM, aiming for world premieres at major festivals in the second half of 2026. These include the commercial romance “Crossing a Dawn,” directed by Qiao Badu and starring Ma Shichun and Edward Chen, produced by China’s MOMO Pictures.
Running Wild, Taiwanese director Wang Yi-lin’s feature debut, is being described as an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age film that combines elements of crime escape and self-exploration. Wang’s short film “Towards the Sun” was previously selected for the Cinefondation section of the 70th Cannes Film Festival.
The documentary “Coo Coo, Quark Quark” is a work by Zhu Xin of “Vanishing Days” which was screened at the Berlinale Forum in 2018. This project continues Zhu Xin’s exploration of abstract concepts such as memory, melancholy, and poetry in documentary form.
China’s Radiance Films is handling global sales for Tobias Nel and Roland Bonardo’s Swiss production Tristan Forever, which will be screened at Panorama Documente, and is representing mainland China rights to Anthony Chen’s Singaporean film We Are All Strangers, which is in main competition in Berlin.
Chinese titles added to the official selection include “Panda” directed by Zhang Xinyang from Singapore, Hong Kong and China’s Forum Division, and “The Girl” directed by China’s Tan Yucheng from Short Films 14+.
