The Chinese Independent Film Foundation (CIFF) is a
not-for-profit screen culture organisation dedicated
to showcasing new and old art-house Chinese-language
cinema across Australia. Founded in Narrm/Melbourne,
CIFF works with collaborators across mainland China,
Hong Kong and Taiwan to present films that
rarely receive theatrical release locally.


THE TWO LIVES OF
LI ERMAO 二毛 (2019)  Directed by Jia Yuchuan 贾玉川 (China) 
Program:  Focus on Queer 中文 CinemaShot over 17 years, this documentary traces the life of Li Ermao, a transgender migrant worker navigating love, family rejection, poverty and shifting identity. From Guangzhou to her rural hometown and back again, Li’s journey is marked by both profound transformation and brutal marginalisation.

The documentary offers an unprecedented view into trans life in China. Its patient, observational style humanises Ermao’s struggle for acceptance, making it a vital addition to both queer cinema and global documentary practice.
September, 2025

Past event.
Address: Elsewhere Books
Level 3, 139 Franklin Street, Melbourne

CIFF acknowledges the Traditional Owners of
the unceded land on which we work and create,
the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong
peoples, and the wider Kulin Nations.