International film festival opens in Beijing

The 13th Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off Saturday at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention & Exhibition Center.

Jury members of the 13th Tiantan Award of this year's BIFF, led by renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou as the jury president, appeared at the opening ceremony.

The organizer said that a record-breaking 1,488 films from 93 countries and regions had applied for the competition this year. Among them, 15 films were selected to contend for the Tiantan Award.

Ten awards, including best feature film, best director, best artistic contribution, best leading actor, and best leading actress, will be announced at the closing ceremony on April 29.

Diverse online and offline activities, such as international film screening and forums, will be held during the festival.

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