Lu Qi (4th from right), lead actor of the Chinese film, titled Compact Density of Stone, poses for a group photo with fans, in Houston, Texas of United Sates, on April 8, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 49th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival began on Friday with the premiere of 20 Chinese films becoming the highlight of the oldest independent film festival in the world.

Last year, five Chinese films were presented at the festival with "Walking to School" winning the Special Jury Remi Award. Another film "China Women" won Musical Platinum Remi Award and Best Art Direction Gold Remi Award.

This year, Chinese film "Compact Density of Stone," a film about late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, became the opening film for Panorama China, a program of the festival that was initiated last year.

Hunter Todd, founder and president of WorldFest, said that they expanded the program to be a major spotlight of Chinese cinema for all of North America this year and these films will open a window to the world of the incredible capabilities of China filmmaking.

Both Chinese Consul of Culture in Houston Yang Song and Panorama China Chairman Ray Jiang spoke highly of the festival and the Chinese films.

Seeing the festival as an important platform for foreigners to understand today's China through film-watching, they hope that Panorama China will become a regular program and the largest platform for Chinese films to be premiered in North America.

"I enjoy films from all over the world but this year is going to be different because we have awesome Chinese films," an American girl told Xinhua.

Founded in 1961, the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival offers competition in 12 major categories -- TV production, documentary, corporate & business films, student & experimental, TV commercials, film & video production, music videos, new media and unproduced screenplays.

It provides opportunities for filmmakers from different countries and of generations to meet and share their ideas and concepts.

This year's film showcase runs from April 8 through April 17.