Seven Chinese films have been withdrawn from the 58th Melbourne International Film Festival to protest a proposed visit of a Uygur separatist and the screening of a documentary about her, the festival's spokeswoman Asha Holmes told Xinhua Sunday.

The directors have expressed strong condemnation against the festival's invitation of Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uygur Congress which was believed behind the deadly July 5 riot in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The films include products from China's mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Among them are "Cry Me A River" by Jia Zhangke, "Petition" by Zhao Liang, and "Perfect Life" by Emily Tang from Hong Kong.

According to Holmes, trade offices of China's Hong Kong and Taiwan in Australia have called off their sponsorship of the festival.

Kadeer was invited to attend the screening ceremony of the documentary about her on Saturday.

Tang Guangtao, a Chinese who lives in Melbourne and used to work at a film studio in Xinjiang for 40 years, said that the festival's bigoted decision to show the documentary about a separatist stained the sanctity of art.

Chen Weidong, vice chairman of an association for the peaceful reunification of China, said that the Chinese filmmakers' rejection proved that the festival's decision has hurt the feeling of the Chinese people.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2009)