Independent Film Festival in Beijing shut dow

Beijing: The authorities in China have shut down the 11th Beijing Independent Film Festival on its opening day itself. Organizers said that they had been under pressure from officials in recent days to cancel the festival, which is to be carried out until the end of the month. An attempt to move the venue from a suburb was blocked by local police. It has been a rare opportunity for independent Chinese film makers to show their work while the government viewed the festival with suspicion. The...