London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) was among the first to champion the new wave of Chinese cinema during the 1980s, promoting Yellow Earth and The Horse Thief. Other films to be shown in the season this year are The Old Barber, A Battle of Wits, The Forest Ranger, Three City Hotshots, Secret Trip and A Great Master Recaptured.

Spotlight Beijing is part of the third China in London season, the capital's biggest ever, which has seen some of London's most prestigious cultural institutions such as ICA, V&A, British Museum, Royal Academy of Music, Kew Gardens and the London Zoo put on more than 500 events from February to April.

Over 300,000 people are expected to participate in the events, which range from free Chinese Opera Workshops for children, Chinese tea tasting and modern opera performances, to the Spotlight Beijing film season, Chinese Elderly Art Group performing traditional Chinese cultural and martial arts.

During the China in London festival, the British Film Institute is showing films by Jia Zhangke, one of China's leading filmmakers. Beijing on Screen also comes to the Museum of Docklands and Harrow Arts Center in London.

Rebel with a cause

Tian Zhuangzhuang, one of the leading figures in China's filmmaking. Guo Yingguang

With Zhang Yimou and his childhood friend Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang forms the core of the Fifth Generation of directors that electrified the Chinese film industry in the 1980s. Tian's rural historical dramas like The Horse Thief (Dao Ma Zei) and Springtime in a Small Town (Xiaocheng Zhi Chun) have won over audiences all over the globe.

His latest, The Go Master (Wu Qingyuan), together with his earlier works including The Horse Thief, Springtime in a Small Town, The Blue Kite (Lan Fengzheng) and Delamu are now shown in London as part of a festival of Chinese films.

Tian's films along with a combination of international shorts inspired by life in Beijing are screening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in downtown London.

"It is always a good thing to let people in the world have the chance to know Chinese films no matter which directors' works are selected," Tian says.