The 7th Silk Road International Film Festival opened on Oct. 11 in Xi’an, capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi province. During the festival which will last until Oct. 16, various activities both online and offline will be launched by countries and regions along the Silk Road.

Highlight 1: Six major activities contribute to an international film event

This year's Silk Road International Film Festival features six major activities: welcome activities, special film recommendations, film screenings, film forums, film trade markets, and a Shaanxi-Fujian handover activity, as well as supporting activities for the film carnival, which aims to create a professional and international film event, exhibiting the new image of Shaanxi in the new era.

Highlight 2: 17 films have been selected for special film recommendations

In accordance with the standards for the international Class A film festivals, this year's festival has set up a team of international filmmakers to make special recommendations for global selection of more than 3,500 excellent films, 90 percent of which are international films. The team works to bring together new and outstanding films, pulling from different genres and fields across a variety of countries.

The festival has invited seven professionals from the film industry at home and abroad to form a "special recommendation group,” with Asghar Farhadi, a famous Iranian director, as the artistic director of the group.

Highlight 3: 101 films will be shown in commercial cinemas

This year's Silk Road International Film Festival focuses on more than 500 outstanding domestic and foreign films through cinema, outdoor and online shows. With 101 of the films to be shown in theaters, covering 37 countries and regions, 25 countries and regions along the Belt and Road are involved.

Highlight 4: more than 200 outdoor screenings free of charge

From Sept. 25 to Oct. 16, this year's Silk Road International Film Festival will show nearly 200 classic cinema films free of charge in outdoor places. Offline shows are spread over cinemas, communities, squares, enterprises, hospitals, schools, troops, poverty alleviation areas and a variety of other places, covering 38 cinemas and 36 outdoor projection sites in 13 urban areas of Shaanxi province.

Highlight 5: 12 forums help boost the new development of films

This year's film festival invites famous film directors, producers, heads of film organizations, industry experts and other guests from countries and regions along the Belt and Road to discuss the themes of the Belt and Road film cooperation, market investment, artistic integration, 5G technology change and so on. Twelve forum activities will be held.

Highlight 6: a total of 16 film-making projects will be selected from 418 candidates coming from 17 countries and region

The Silk Road International Film Festival takes it as its mission to discover new forces and incubate potential projects in the film industry. The "film market,” which focuses on organizing venture capital conferences, master classes and short films, is an important part of this year's film festival.

Highlight 7: 10 major themes, a total of 57 film carnivals are integrated into the whole city

With the Great Tang All Day Mall as the center, a total of 57 characteristic film carnival activities under 10 major themes will help citizens and tourists deeply integrate and immerse themselves in the experience.