The first Hainan International Film Festival officially opened Tuesday night in the tropical coastal city of Sanya in China's southernmost island province of Hainan.
The film festival is one of Hainan's first series of projects in building itself into a pilot free trade zone and a free trade port.
With Chinese movie star Jackie Chan as the promotional ambassador, the festival is attended by nearly 100 actors, actresses, and directors from home and abroad, including Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage from the United States, two-time Cannes winner Isabelle Huppert from France, and Aamir Khan from India.
Chinese actress Ma Su attends the opening ceremony of the first Hainan International Film Festival in Sanya, Hainan Province, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
Cage said Hainan is a good place to shoot films and hoped to work with Chinese counterparts to shoot movies in China, particularly in Hainan.
The festival aims to build a platform for communication, cooperation, and trade in the international film industry, according to the organizing committee.
As part of the first Hainan International Film Festival, celebrities including Nicolas Cage attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Hainan Film Museum, themed "In Memory of 40 Years' Reform and Opening Up: Our Movie Time," in Sanya, Hainan Province, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo
Tong Daochi, the Communist Party chief of Sanya, said Hainan aims to build itself into a major player in the film industry not only in China but also in Asia.
The festival runs from December 9 to 16 despite a late opening ceremony on Tuesday night. It features a wide variety of activities, such as a competition section, film exhibitions, and forums, according to the organizing committee.
(Top Photo: Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage poses at the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the first Hainan International Film Festival in Sanya, Hainan Province, December 11, 2018. /VCG Photo)