As the directorial debut of 27-year-old American filmmaker Aneesh Chaganty, Searching stars Korean American actor John Cho.[Photo  provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Probably a good option for families, Universal Pictures and Illumination’s The Grinch also arrives this weekend. The film is based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The cunning Grinch will be competing against a digitally restored version of Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro (1988), and Indian hit Padman, about a welder who wants to revolutionize the manufacturing of sanitary napkins for women.

In total, there are 66 films scheduled to be screened in December, half of which are set for release in the following two weeks.