Nine Canadian films are set for the upcoming 16th Shanghai International Film Festival, taking place from June 15 to 23.

One of the biggest festivals in Asia, SIFF is  China’s only A-category international film festival. Last year, French Canadian Micheline Lanctôt’s film Pour l’amour de Dieu won the Jury Grand Prize.

As part of the Best of Canada focus, seven Canadian films have been chosen for the International Panorama section of the festival including the dramas Blood Pressure, directed by Sean Garrity and produced by Flying Horse Films, and Canada’s foreign-language Oscar contender Rebelle, directed by Kim Nguyen and produced by Item 7.

Additionally, A Gun & A Ring directed by Lenin M. Sivam and Maïna by Michel Poulette, will be included in the official competition. For the first time, Canada will have two features in the running for SIFF’s Golden Goblet award.

The intertwining stories of different generations of Toronto Sri Lankans is the focus of A Gun & A Ring, produced by Eyecatch, while Maïna follows the adventurous young daughter of Innu leader Mishtenapuu.

“Shanghai is a prestigious festival and being part of its selection is a great honour,” said Anick Poirier, vice-president of international sales for Les Films Séville. The Canadian films at the festival include three from the Quebec distributor, Maïna (Films Maïna), Anais Barbeau-Lavalette’s Inch’Allah (micro_scope), and Bernard Émond’s All That You Possess (ACPAV).

Three films will be making their Asian premiere, La Légende de Sarila 3d (CarpeDiem) directed by Nancy Florene Savard, Picture Day (Snitch & Foundry) by Kate Melville, and Rouge Sang (Ciné Télé Action) by Martin Doepner.

Fu Wenxia, managing director of the festival said in a press release that he is “thrilled to see a large selection of Canadian films programmed”.

Among other events, the festival will hold a number of news conferences, including one devoted specifically to the two Canadian films in the official competition, and one with Chinese media to mark the opening of The Best of Canada.