Timeline

1976:

• End of Cultural Revolution and death of Mao Zedong.

1978:

• Beijing Film academy reopened.

1981:

• Marco Muller organises huge 'Electric Shadows' retrospective of Chinese cinema through the decades at Torino Film Festival. Tony Rayns organises significant Chinese cinema retrospective at the NFT in London.

1983:

• The One and the Eight produced, but not released due to censorship.

1984:

• Yellow Earth produced and released.

1985:

• Wu Ziniu's The Dove Tree becomes the first Chinese Fifth Generation film to be banned outright. [?]

1986:

• Marco Muller organises 'New Chinese Cinema' [Il nuovo cinema cinese] strand at the Pesaro Film Festival.

1987:

• Chen Kaige prevented, by Chinese authorities, from travelling to Melbourne Film Festival in May, despite having his flights and attendance already booked.
• Nantes film festival host a retrospective of Xi'an Film Studio productions, including King of the Children, The Horse Thief, The Black Cannon Incident, Old Well.

1988:

• Zhang Yimou's Red Sorghum wins the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.

1989:

• Wu Ziniu's Evening Bell wins a Silver Bear Jury Prize award at the Berlin Film Festival.