Bermudians will get the chance to see a Chinese film by one of the world's most promising young filmmakers during the Bermuda International Film Festival (BIFF) January Film Night.

The January Film Night to be held at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) will feature 'The World' by Chinese director Jia Zhangke, who has been dubbed "the world's greatest filmmaker under 40".

'The World', named Best Foreign Language Film of 2005 by the Toronto Film Critics Association, will screen on Thursday at 7.30 p.m. in the Tradewinds Auditorium at the BUEI. It will screen in Mandarin and Shanxi dialect with English subtitles.

In the film, Mr. Zhangke casts a compassionate eye on the daily loves, friendships and desperate dreams of the 20-somethings from China's remote provinces who arrive to live and work at Beijing's World Park, a 115-acre facility that features 106 of the most famous sites from 14 countries and regions the world over.

A bizarre cross-cultural pollination of Las Vegas and Epcot Centre, World Park features lavish shows performed amid scaled-down replicas of the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, St. Mark's Square, the Pyramids and even the Twin Towers. From the sensational opening tracking shot of a young dancer's backstage quest for a Band-Aid to poetic flourishes of animation and clever use of text messaging, Jia pushes past the kitsch potential of this surreal setting.

"The World is widely considered the filmmaker's funniest, most inventive and touching work to date," says BIFF Film Series director Clare Wood.

Tickets to BIFF Film Nights are $8 for BIFF Film Club members, and $10 for non-members. Filmgoers can reserve tickets by e-mailing BIFF at infobiff.bm, or by calling the BIFF office at 293-3456. Tickets can be picked up at the BUEI from 6.30 p.m. on the evening of the screening.