The Gala of 2019 Shanghai International Film & TV Festival (SIFF) finally kicked off at Shanghai Grand Theatre on Saturday night after rolling out the red carpet and with lights dazzling inside the venue.

Nearly 500 artists and experts from the Chinese and international film industry gathered for this event.

It's the first case of using 5G+4K technology to broadcast a large-scale cultural activity in China, and the event was broadcast live on Channel 4K of China Media Group (CMG).

Jury members for the Documentary, Animation Unit and Main Competition of Golden Goblet Awards are present at the Gala. Meanwhile, Turkish director and screenwriter Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Italian director and screenwriter Paolo Genovese, Chinese actress Zhao Tao and Chinese film director Zhou Hao are among the jury line-up. 

The SIFF is jointly held by the State Film Administration, the China Media Group (CMG) and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government.

Shen Haixiong, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and president of the CMG, addressed the opening ceremony. Shen said the SIFF has provided a great platform to present great film works.

Fifteen shortlisted films will compete for the Golden Goblet Awards this year.

Actors and creators of the film “The Climbers” including Wu Jing, the Ambassador of the 22^nd SIFF, graced the stage.

“The Climbers” is based on a true story of how Chinese people climbed the Mount Qomolangma in 1960. The film stars renowned Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi and actors Wu Jing and Hu Ge.

Besides movie introductions, there were also songs, dances and acrobatics.

Famous Chinese actor Liu Ye and young Chinese soprano, The Belt and Road Image Ambassador Yi Liyuan performed a song titled “A Flower in Bloom Ahead” to celebrate the persistent dreams of filmmakers.

The opening film “Beautiful Voyage” was also revealed and presented at the Gala.

Before the final winners were revealed for the Golden Goblet Awards tonight, many heavy-weight stars in China's film industry and from the rest of the world walked the red carpet.

Shu Qi, Lu Han and other crew members of the "Shanghai Fortress" also attended the event. The science fiction film is about how human beings struggled to save Earth when aliens attack. The film is set to be released on August 9. It's still unknown whether it'll prove as popular as "The Wandering Earth," which hit theaters in early 2019.

Chinese actor Lei Jiayin and actress Tang Wei brought their new thriller "The Whistleblower," which is about an employee risking himself to investigate a shady deal in his company.

International filmmakers and industry professionals in attendance included William Feng, the chief representative of the China Office for the Motion Picture Associations (MPA), Michael C. Ellis, the president and managing director of the Asia Pacific Region for the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Ng See-yuen, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, Yasushi Shiina, vice-president of the Tokyo International Film Festival and appointed Tokyo festival director Takeo Hisamatsu.

The director of the Institut Lumiere and the Cannes Film Festival Thierry Fremaux was also part of the delegation.

As the only Competitive Feature Film Festivals approved by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in China, the Shanghai International Film Festival has witnessed China's solid development toward a more mature film industry and will make new contributions to world cinema. 

This year's SIFF will continue to cultivate Asian film under the new structure of "SIFF ASIA" and play a bigger role in the cultural exchange process of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will be held from June 15 to June 24.

(Top image designer: Du Chenxin)