Actor Liao Fan [Photo provided to China Daily]

On a panel held on the first day, Johnnie To joined a dialogue with Jia in the exploration of auteur-genre films. And on Oct 17, Chinese actor, director and producer Xu Zheng will focus on the development of young aspiring directors.

PYIFF was launched by Jia Zhangke and prestigious festival director Marco Muller in 2017. The "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" in its title is a tribute to Ang Lee's Oscar-winning film and received Lee's special authorization.