The first Silk Road International Film Festival started on Oct. 20, Monday. Held at the northwestern city of Xi'an, the film fest aimed to promote cultural exchange and cooperation among countries along the Silk Road, an ancient trade route.
The Silk Road is the third international film festival of China, apart from Shanghai and Beijing International Film Festivals.
Launched by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the festival will be held yearly and will be alternately hosted by Shaanxi Province and Fujian Province.
"The province has a long history and splendid culture. It is rich in natural resources and cultural heritage," said Liu Bin, an official of Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.
The event is a strategic plan to improve ties between interlinking countries through "The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road," which open routes to China and Europe, Middle Asia and Southeast Asia.
The festival will be a new platform for large-scale film exchanges and will open Chinese films to a global audience, as reported by Chinesecio.com.
The seven-day event will include activities like an opening ceremony, film screenings from different countries, audience selection of movies, film forums, film market and a Silk Road film-themed concert.
According to China.org.cn, 147 foreign and domestic films including features and documentaries will be screened by film critics, film makers, and local and international audiences during the festival.
Participating countries from Asia and Europe, also called as "Silk Road nations," include Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Nepal, the Philippines, Turkey, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, France and Georgia. The United States will also participate and bring four films to the event.