'Boutique Festival for the People': A preview of 2nd Pingyao Int’l Film Festival

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The 2nd Pingyao International Film Festival opens in the ancient city of northern China's Shanxi Province today. Our reporter Hu Chao tells us what to expect.

HU CHAO PINGYAO, SHANXI "This evening's Red Carpet will feature a group of well-known directors, film stars and pop singers. It's the most highly-anticipated event of the ten-day festival.

This second annual Pingyao International Film Festival has already attracted 1,200 films in total, three times last year's numbers. 55 of them will be screened during the event. They come from 25 countries and regions. Nearly half of these films are making their world premieres here. And nearly all of them are making their China debut.

This year's theme is 'Boutique Festival for the People.' Event organizers believe film screening has its roots in market scenes and street performances. And they say films always closely connect with people's culture and daily lives. With that theme, 11 filmmaker parties and 2 theme fairs will be held during the event, all free of charge for the audience.

Another highlight of this year's festival is the focus on the female angel. Half of the directors of the screened films are female. The opening film, Half the Sky, is the second BRICS co-production directed by five female directors, talking about women's self-worth and achievements. Several Indian films also talk about women's stories and their social status.

The festival also pays tribute to Soviet New Wave cinema. Ten Soviet films will be screened in restored versions during the festival.

Besides the film screenings, academic seminars will be held, including some film master classes and forums. The festival is definitely a feast for film lovers as the activities and film arts exhibitions are all free to the public while only the cinemas require tickets."