When the Chinese government pressured filmmakers to abandon an independent film festival in New York City, a Salem movie theater decided to act. Cinema Salem is now hosting a Chinese Indie Film Day Festival on December 21, featuring films and the filmmaker who faced government intimidation. The festival represents more than just a screening event—it’s a direct response to censorship and artistic suppression.
What Happened to the Original IndieChina Festival
The IndieChina Film Festival was set to launch in New York City on November 8, 2025. Organizer Zhu Rikun had secured 31 films from submissions worldwide. He expected a modest attendance of 60-70 people per screening. Then the Chinese government intervened.
Police officers visited filmmakers in China and told them to withdraw from the festival. Furthermore, authorities contacted relatives of Chinese filmmakers living abroad. Even foreign citizens received pressure through their employers. The intimidation campaign was remarkably comprehensive.
Zhu received a 5 a.m. phone call from his father in China. The conversation was strange and unsettling. His father asked if Zhu was “up to anything bad” and urged him not to hurt China. Subsequently, directors, moderators, and volunteers all withdrew from the festival.
Most cited personal reasons were not explained. However, a few confided that police had pressured them or their families. Two days before opening, Zhu cancelled the entire festival.
The cancellation received international media coverage. The New York Times, The Guardian, and China Digital Times all reported on the government’s transnational pressure campaign. Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch called it “incredibly chilling for anyone who has some remote connection to China.”
How Cinema Salem Stepped In
Marshall Strauss co-owns Cinema Salem with Elaine Gerdine. When he learned about the cancellation of the NYC festival, he immediately contacted Zhu Rikun. Strauss offered the Salem venue without charge.
“When we learned of the Chinese government’s pressure campaign against these filmmakers, we immediately offered our venue,” Strauss explained. The gesture was practical and principled. Additionally, it gave censored filmmakers a platform they’d been denied.
Zhu accepted the invitation. He agreed to attend the Cinema Salem Chinese film festival and speak about both his films and the cancelled NYC event. However, the pressure campaign’s effects continued even after Cinema Salem’s offer. Other filmmakers declined to participate in the Salem event. “A clear reflection of the pressure that has been brought to bear,” Strauss noted. The intimidation had achieved its goal—silencing filmmakers even thousands of miles from China.
Nevertheless, the Cinema Salem Chinese film festival will proceed with two influential films. The screening sends a clear message about artistic freedom and community support.
The Films and Filmmaker at Cinema Salem Chinese Film Festival
The December 21 event features two films that were scheduled for the NYC festival. Both offer perspectives that Chinese authorities found threatening.
No Desire to Hide is a documentary by Zhu Rikun himself. The film explores themes that touch on sensitive topics within China’s contemporary society. It represents the kind of independent filmmaking that has been systematically suppressed under Xi Jinping’s leadership.
Tangle is a drama by Liu Yonghong, another filmmaker caught in the pressure campaign. The film was meant to screen at the cancelled NYC festival. Now it will reach audiences at the Cinema Salem Chinese film festival instead.
Zhu Rikun brings significant credentials to the Salem event. He co-founded the Beijing Independent Film Festival in the 2000s. That festival showcased films not submitted to state censors—and therefore not allowed in commercial cinemas. Chinese authorities shut it down years ago as part of Xi Jinping’s campaign for strict ideological control.
After moving to New York in 2014, Zhu continued supporting independent Chinese cinema. He organized the ill-fated IndieChina festival earlier this year. Despite the cancellation, he remains committed to sharing these suppressed voices.
During the Cinema Salem Chinese film festival, Zhu will discuss his filmmaking and the broader context of censorship facing Chinese artists. The conversation will illuminate how far the Chinese government goes to silence criticism.
Why This Cinema Salem Chinese Film Festival Matters
China has systematically erased space for independent films. The small independent festivals established in the 2000s are gone. Directors making films critical of the government face imprisonment or fines.
Some Chinese filmmakers have sought refuge overseas. They’ve established Chinese-language bookstores, comedy shows, and cultural salons in Tokyo, London, and Bangkok. However, government repression increasingly follows them abroad.
In July 2025, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok pressured a museum to censor an exhibition about Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. Earlier that year, a documentary about disputed waters was pulled from a film festival in Manila. The director cited “external factors.”
The Cinema Salem Chinese film festival demonstrates that transnational repression can be resisted. Local communities can provide platforms that authoritarian governments cannot easily silence. Moreover, the event highlights Salem’s role in supporting artistic freedom and international culture.
This matters specifically for the North Shore region. Salem has long positioned itself as a cultural destination welcoming diverse artistic expressions. By hosting the Cinema Salem Chinese film festival, the venue reinforces that identity. It shows that small-scale local action can counter large-scale government intimidation.
All ticket proceeds go directly to the filmmakers. This ensures that artists whose work has been suppressed still receive support. It’s a practical form of solidarity that extends beyond symbolic gestures.
Event Details and Ticket Information
The Cinema Salem Chinese film festival begins at 1:00 pm on Sunday, December 21, 2025. The event takes place at Cinema Salem’s location inside the Witch City Mall in Salem, Massachusetts.
Tickets are available at cinemasalem.com/chinese-indie-film-day-festival. Purchase early to ensure access to this unique cultural event.
The program includes:
- Screening of No Desire to Hide (documentary by Zhu Rikun)
- Screening of Tangle (drama by Liu Yonghong)
- Discussion with filmmaker Zhu Rikun about his work and the cancelled NYC festival
- Context about independent Chinese cinema and government censorship
Cinema Salem operates as a four-screen independent theater. Co-owners Marshall Strauss and Elaine Gerdine purchased the venue during the pandemic and reopened it in 2021. The theater annually screens more than 200 new and classic films and hosts various live events.
This particular screening carries special significance beyond typical programming. It represents a direct challenge to censorship and a tangible show of support for artistic freedom. For audiences, it offers rare access to films that government pressure tried to suppress.
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