Often referred to but rarely examined in depth, 'Sixth Generation' filmmaking emerged in the early 1990s and has played a defining role in shaping contemporary Chinese cinema. Associated with directors such as Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Lou Ye, and Zhang Yuan, these filmmakers worked largely outside the state studio system during a period of profound social and economic changes. Their films form a rich, diverse, and often challenging body of work, remaining deeply influential today.

This panel brings together scholars and curators working closely with Chinese cinema to explore the Sixth Generation as both a historical moment and a critical category. Topics include the generational framework of Chinese cinema and its social context; the relationship between the Sixth and Fifth Generations; key filmmakers and representative works; the label’s acceptance and contestation among directors; its ties to Chinese independent cinema and international festival circulation; and its influence and legacy in global film culture.

Moderator

Luke Robinson is Associate Professor in Film Studies at the University of Sussex and author of Independent Chinese Documentary: From the Studio to the Street.

Speakers

Chris Berry is Professor of Film Studies at King’s College London, where he teaches and researches cinemas of the Sinosphere. In the 1980s, he worked for China Film Import and Export Corporation in Beijing, and his academic research is grounded in work on Chinese-language cinemas and other Chinese-language screen-based media. He has written widely on the urban realism of the Sixth Generation directors and more specifically on Jia Zhangke as a poet-historian of the everyday experiences of China's transformation.

Sabrina Qiong Yu is Professor of Film and Chinese Studies at Newcastle University, UK. Her research and publications primarily focus on Chinese-language cinema, stardom and fan culture, and film censorship. With support from the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the British Film Institute (BFI), she established the Chinese Independent Film Archive (CIFA) at Newcastle University, where she is responsible for its daily operations. Since 2012, she has actively curated academic events, film festivals, screenings, and exhibitions related to Chinese independent cinema, and is committed to advancing research into it and its global circulation.