Published: 11:00, April 23, 2023 | Updated: 13:30, April 24, 2023
13th Beijing International Film Festival kicks off Saturday
By Xinhua

Jury members of Tiantan Awards Zhang Yimou (third left), Stanley Kwan (second right), Nadav Lapid (first right), Pimpaka Towira (second left), Zhang Songwen (first left) and Zhou Dongyu walk on the red carpet of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 21, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

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

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

Cast members of the film "Lost in the Stars" walk on the red carpet of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival in Beijing, capital of China, April 21, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

China's box office total in 2022 was 30.07 billion yuan (about $4.37 billion), according to data from the China Film Administration

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.

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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 BJIFF aims to boost exchanges among global industry insiders. It has attracted increasing international attention thanks to China's booming film market.

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China's box office total in 2022 was 30.07 billion yuan (about $4.37 billion), according to data from the China Film Administration.