Scottish actress Tilda Swinton attends the opening ceremony of the Scottish Cinema of Dreams festival in Beijing on March 19, 2009. [CRI]

Scottish actress Tilda Swinton was more like a host than a visitor at the China Film Archive in Beijing on Thursday, when she greeted local movie-goers at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Cinema of Dreams festival.

Oscar-winning Swinton was in Beijing to promote the week-long festival, which is a showcase of Scottish films made between 1940 and 2004.

Swinton, who is best known to Chinese audiences as the cold-hearted white witch in the "Narnia" series, has helped hand-pick five feature-length and seven short films for the event.

Scottish actress Tilda Swinton and her daughter attend the opening ceremony of the Scottish Cinema of Dreams festival in Beijing on March 19, 2009. [CRI]

Among the films screened at the opening ceremony was the 1945 romantic drama "I Know Where I'm Going!", co-directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Swinton told the audience that the film was one of her all-time favorites.

Chinese actress Maggie Cheung was in the audience.

The Scottish Cinema of Dreams festival is jointly presented by the Scottish government, the British Council, the China Film Archive and the Beijing Film Academy.

"I am confident that this festival will give pleasure to Chinese film lovers by sharing some of Scotland's best work both behind and in front of the camera with them," Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told Xinhua news agency.

Scottish actress Tilda Swinton attends the opening ceremony of the Scottish Cinema of Dreams festival in Beijing on March 19, 2009. [CRI]

(CRI March 20, 2009)