"In Search of Lost Time," directed by Derek Yee of China's Hong Kong, will open the 12th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) on August 13.

Based on a historical event, the film starring Chen Baoguo, Ma Su, Ayanga, Wang Qiang and Luo Yichun is on the shortlist for the festival's Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film.

The film tells a touching story of junior orphans during a famine 60 years ago adopted by nomadic families in north China. Food shortages in the late 1950s left large numbers of orphans in south China facing severe malnutrition. At the crucial moment, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region devised a program for local families to adopt the children. The program helped an estimated 3,000 orphans between 1960 and 1963. The film chronicles how the children far from their hometowns adapted to their new lives on the Inner Mongolian prairie.

"The film story embodies the growth of the characters, the great love of the nomadic families, the deep love between mother and son, and the beauty of humanity," said producer Zeng Han. "I believe the realism of its storytelling and ability to capture people's emotions will deeply impress audiences."

The BJIFF will run until August 20.