The seventh Beijing International Film Festival opened on Sunday with over 300 movie stars and directors from China and abroad present at the red carpet ceremony in Beijing’s northeastern suburb of Huairou.
Indian actor Aamir Khan, Serbian director Emir Kusturica and Taiwanese actress Sylvia Chang were among the celebrities in attendance, as many fans cheered for their movie icons, with American actor Ian Somerhalder receiving a warm welcome.
“I’m looking forward to doing some co-productions. The film market is so vast, and China has an amazing amount of talent,” said Somerhalder, who is most famous for his appearances in “The Vampire Diaries” drama series.
The stars of Chinese sports drama ‘Who is the King’ were also in attendance, with the film featuring cameos from familiar faces to Chinese television audiences.
“I play myself in the movie, because the film sets up a scenario on our program ‘Who is the King’ and I’m the host in the final match,” said Zhang Bin, host of the CCTV5 show which shares the same title.
After the red carpet event, the festival’s opening ceremony started in style with a series of acrobatic dancing displays followed by several rousing singing performances.
This year’s Beijing International Film Festival will be held from April 16 to 23, with nearly 500 outstanding foreign films and classic Chinese movies being screened in 30 theaters across the city.
Founded in 2011, the festival has the core value of exploring and promoting crossover interactions. Since its launch, it has been heavily attended by Hollywood executives, directors, producers and studio heads.
