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@gavin_ouyang

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Uh Bar @uh_bar • Mulan International Film Festival @mulanfestival • Klido • FriendUp • Celestial Vault Media • Ben Mio Collection @benmiocollection

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Releasing the main visual of MulanIFF2026: A WILLFUL ILLUSION (一厢情愿, yīxiāng qíngyuàn)

Artist and Author: Gavin OUYANG @gavin_ouyang

Read the Chinese version on our website: MulanFestival.com

MulanIFF 2026 runs from Nov 21 to Dec 3 this year at @innistownhall
#mulaniff #mulaniff2026 #filmfestival

Main visual of MulanIFF2026: A WILLFUL ILLUSION (一厢情愿, yīxiāng qíngyuàn)

In Eastern philosophy, the notion of a willful illusion often stems from a profound attachment. Buddhism posits that all worldly phenomena are impermanent, and clinging to the ephemeral is often one of the fundamental roots of suffering. In the context of existentialism, Albert Camus (1913–1960) argues that humanity possesses an innate, intense desire for order, reason, and meaning in life, yet the universe does not respond to this desire. When a yearning soul collides with a silent universe, an irreconcilable sense of the “Absurd” emerges. A willful illusion is…

…precisely an instinctive, unyielding projection of meaning into the void. Perhaps an illusion itself is false, but a willful illusion is a courageous rebellion. Just as Sisyphus, fully aware that the boulder will eventually roll back down, remains lucid as he chooses, time and again, to push it toward the summit—this is not a meaningless waste of effort, but an active affirmation of his own existence. Many of humanity’s pursuits of love, art, faith, and meaning, on a broader scale, are perhaps all “willful illusions”—acts of knowingly taking up what may ultimately prove impossible.

For the Mulan International Film Festival, “willful illusion” also carries a profound autobiographical resonance. We have long been dedicated to—in the words of ZHU Yilan—discovering and stirring up a new wave where pan-Chinese filmmakers with the potential to become Tier-0 artists, or what she calls Échelon-Formidable, simultaneously put out to the sea. Even when these efforts, in the face of reality, often seem like a futile willful illusion, we nevertheless choose to continue.

If we begin with the literal composition of the Chinese phrase yī xiāng qíng yuàn (一厢情愿), translated here as “willful illusion,” we can evoke the imagery of a hidden female s

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happi thanksgiving

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🔭 Announcing Main Visual of MulanIFF2024: Pò (“破”)

Artwork and text by @gavin_ouyang

For the Chinese version of the text, go to mulanfestival.com

#mulaniff

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What a great looking team 🤩🥹 From Opening Night to Closing Night!

Thank you to our team of Staff and Volunteers who helped to make this year’s Mulan International Film Festival a success! <3

#MulanIFF2023

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Meet the faces behind the Mulan International Film Festival team! 🤩🫶

@ultimacia Shen Wei: Artistic Director
@promise.n.x Promise Xu: Director, Marketing
@markliyx Mark Li: Assistant Programer
@soyeggtom Tom Wang: Executive Director
@helen_xxz Helen Zhang: Sponsorship Specialist
@amyxixichen Amy Chen: Director, Finance
@super.a.n.n.a Anna Yuan: Festival Coordinator
@kefiraamok Kefira Mok: Festival Coordinator
@gavin_ouyang Gavin Ouyang: Graphic Design
@idrinkbeeraswell Charlie Li: Support
@chewy_liu Guanchu Liu: Director, Government Relations

We love our team members dearly and can’t thank them enough for all that they do to help make the heart of MulanIFF beat! 🥰 #mulaniff2023

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This year’s Visual Identity piece by the talented @gavin_ouyang

Who’s excited for Opening Night tomorrow?? 🙌🥹

🎟️ Grab your tickets at MulanFestival.com #mulaniff2023

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✨Behind the Festival: Curation, Programming, and How It All Started ✨

🎞️ Join our co-founders, SHEN Wei, Artistic Director, Promise Xu, Director, Marketing & Operations, and Gavin Ouyang, Graphic Design, in our first-ever Behind the Festival: Curation, Programming, and How It All Started event.

Enjoy a fireside chat about the fascinating process of, and thoughts and stories behind our curation and programming this year, as well as the stories behind our festival’s inception. This would also be a great opportunity to ask any question you want. Afterward, stay for an intimate reception with them and the rest of the Mulan team and enjoy light refreshments provided by @dopapen_coffee ☕️🧁

This is a small-scale intimate event and very limited spots are available–secure your tickets before it’s too late!
Holder of 6- and 10-Ticket Festival Pass: Check your email for instructions on how to redeem for one free ticket to this event.

@ultimacia SHEN Wei, Co-Founder and Artistic Director
SHEN Wei received her BBA degree from the University of Toronto in 2012 and once worked in finance in the public sector. She is now pursuing her MFA in film directing at the University of California Los Angeles.

@promise.n.x Promise Xu, Co-Founder and Director, Marketing
Promise helps with marketing and event organization and logistics at MulanIFF. You may have seen him as the host and live interpreter at our events. Outside of Mulan, Promise is a computer programmer.

📍 Location: Innis Town Hall @innistownhall
🕰️ Time: 7:30 PM Tuesday, August 8

🎟️ Visit mulanfestival.com to get your tickets!

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At Zurich. Behind the camera @gavin_ouyang

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虎年的增肥记录🥳

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#happy2022 感谢招待😌

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Issue #2 of the #MyUofT Newsletter: A newsletter celebrating the life stories of the talented, creative, whimsical, funny, independent and unique, all the while down-right beautiful. Featuring @jeongwon_chweh @gavin_ouyang @nicolette.k @johnlouks @graceruizhou @moemaarouf @__simrxh and @nball_ on TikTok!
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To have your posts featured and to see the entire newsletter , sign up at myuoft.com
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Link in bio, as seen on The Varsity
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#uoft #utoronto #toronto #love #tweegram #photooftheday #20likes #amazing #smile #follow4follow #like4like #look #instalike #igers #picoftheday #instadaily #instafollow #followme #instagood #bestoftheday #instacool #instago #all_shots #follow #webstagram #colorful #style #swag

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It’s a wrap! The 2019 Mulan International Film Festival, from Aug 9 to 17, showcases 16 features and 7 shorts! They are some of the best of Chinese-language cinema!
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Thank you for all your love and support. See you next year, or sooner! Stay tuned for our Year-Around Programme.
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Designed and animation by @gavin_ouyang
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#toronto #thingstodo #movie #film #filmfestival #chinesecinema #mulanfestival #mulaniff #mulaniff2019 #chinesemovie #hongkongmovies #taiwanmovies

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