April 4, 2024 — Chinese Independent Film and Distribution of Public Interest Media

Karin Chien, in conversation with Jian Yi, charted the evolution of her work at dGenerate Films, acquiring independent Chinese films and releasing them in the United States through a partnership with Icarus Films. Karin was a fellow for the Documentary Film in the Public Interest program at the Shorenstein Center. Elsie Chen moderated this talk. The event was organized by the Shorenstein Center’s DFPI program and co-sponsored by the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. 

Independent films are vital to a nation’s public interest. What happens when market and political forces impact their production and circulation? In this informal conversation with Jian Yi, Shorenstein fellow Karin Chien charts the evolution of her work at dGenerate Films, acquiring independent Chinese films and releasing them in the United States through a partnership with Icarus Films. By centering authorship, the seventy-five films in dGenerate’s collection celebrate the vital perspectives and extraordinary creativity of their makers. dGenerate’s latest release is YOUTH, a 3.5– hour documentary which played to sold-out audiences at Metrograph and Lincoln Center, after being the first documentary in 20 years selected for competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.