The 70th Berlin International Film Festival, or as it's more commonly known, the Berlinale, kicked off on Thursday with a literary drama "My Salinger Year".

A total of 18 films have made it into this year's competition category and they will compete for the Golden Bear for best film, and other individual awards, the Silver Bears.

The opening film, "My Salinger Year" by Canadian director Philippe Falardeau, based on the novel of the same name by Joanna Rakoff, depicted a story of a young woman working as an assistant to a literary agent in New York but aspiring to become a writer herself.

Actress Margaret Qualley, attends a news conference to promote the movie My Salinger Year during the 70th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, Feb 20, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Philippe Falardeau depicts the small New York literary world of the 1990s with humor and a sweet note, but he never forgets the 21st century we are living in or the unifying role that art plays in all of our lives," said Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian.

Hundreds of films from all over the world will be screened around the city during the Berlinale. Many of them are world premieres, making Berlin the hub city of film arts.

To celebrate the 70th edition of the film festival, this year's Berlinale invited seven pairs of filmmakers connected to the festival's history to discuss contemporary cinema and look ahead to the future of the film festival. There will also be a talk between Chinese directors Jia Zhangke and Huo Meng.

Berlinale, annually held in the German capital city, is one of the world's leading film festivals. This year's Berlinale will last until March 1.