9. The International Film Festival & Awards ? Macao

The annual International Film Festival & Awards ? Macao (IFFAM) was launched as an ambitious new international film festival in 2016 to bring together cinematic industries in Asia and the West. Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) is not a productive film base but is a highly sought-after film location by many Hong Kong and foreign filmmakers. The critically acclaimed film "In the Mood for Love" by Wong Kar-wai and the James Bond hit "Skyfall" by Sam Mendes were both filmed in the MSAR.

The bedrock of the festival is a highly curated program of around 50 films from Asia and the rest of the world, designed to engage the audiences of Macao and expand the cinema-going tradition of the MSAR. Its international competition section focuses on 10 films from first and second-time directors from around the world, while "New Chinese Cinema" is a competitive section of eight films highlighting the best Chinese-language films of the year. The festival also includes a tightly organized invitation-only industry section consisting of a genre-focused project market, an industry forum and various networking programs. Part of the mission of the festival is to throw a spotlight on classic cinema and promote Macao as a cultural destination and location for shooting films.