Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026: "Chongqing Hot Pot"

Chongqing Hot Pot: digging into a vault under the hotpot shop, screening 31 Oct at Hong Kong Film Archive

Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026 brings Chongqing Hot Pot to Hong Kong Film Archive (Cinema) on 31 October (Sat) at 7:30pm, tickets $75.

Set in Chongqing, a city full of air-raid shelters, the story follows three close friends whose mala hotpot shop is about to close. Hoping to sell it for a better price, they dig to extend the premises and break into a bank vault. With piles of cash in front of them, the three hit rock bottom and struggle with what to do, setting off an absurd storm of brotherhood, an old romance and gang conflict.

Director and screenwriter Yang Qing continues the enclosed-space storytelling of his university drama assignment, moving the stage into a hotpot air-raid shelter. Running 98 minutes, produced in 2016, in Putonghua and Chongqing dialect with Chinese and English subtitles.

Public coverage has described the film as bringing a new flavour to domestic productions, and other articles group it with films set in Chongqing. Check booking arrangements if you plan to go.

Editor’s noteIf you want a genre film that keeps you tense and laughing, this screening is worth noting; tickets are $75, so check booking arrangements.

This guide draws on public sources and does not claim a first-hand visit. Reviews and arrangements may change.