Beijing kicks off international film festival

BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 11th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) opened Tuesday with more than 250 films to be screened during the event, according to the organizers.

The red-carpet ceremony returned to the event this year after being canceled for the first time at last year's festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifteen films from China and abroad have been nominated for this year's Tiantan Award, the official competition section of the BJIFF. Globally famous actress Gong Li will chair this year's jury for the award.

Gong said at the opening ceremony that the jury will select the best films with a serious and professional attitude.

"We hope that through the BJIFF, we can make more people in the world understand our Chinese culture, Chinese art, and Chinese people's stories," she added.

Initiated in 2011, the BJIFF aims to boost exchanges among global industry insiders and has attracted increasing international attention thanks to China's booming film market.