The 10th Beijing College Students' Film Festival kicked off last weekend at the Beijing Normal University, and will close on October 12.

Held simultaneously in 33 colleges and universities in the Chinese capital, the annual festival is organized by the Arts and Media School of Beijing Normal University, the China Film Foundation, the Film Channel of China Central Television, and the China Film Archives, according to the festival's spokesperson Chen Fen.

The major events of this year's festival include the screenings of 31 domestic films, mostly by local talents including Zhang Yimou (Hero), Chen Kaig (Together), Zhang Jianya (Polar Rescue), Sun Zhou (Zhou Yu's Train) and Huo Jianqi (Life Show).

Other highlights will include the South Korean Film Week at the China Film Archives and the Fourth College Students Digital Video (DV) Works Competition with more than 180 entries from at least 20 colleges and universities across the country.

The festival also features seminars on the comeback made by China's "Fifth Generation" directors, the rise of the South Korean film industry in recent years, and the phenomenon of an increasing popularity of DV arts among Chinese youth, with the digital videocamera becoming accessible and affordable for more and more Chinese households.

A film essay writing and script writing competition is being held to encourage college students to present their understanding of the future of the Chinese film and television industries, and to show off their creative potential for working in those industries.

"I am happy to see this film festival growing with the Chinese film industry, which is also undergoing tremendous changes," said Chinese director Lu Xuechang.

Lu's successful film Cala, My Dog will be screened and judged this week by a panel of college students and film academics, while competing for a shot at the festival's 10 film awards including "Best Loved Picture By College Students," "Best Feature Film," "Best Visual Effects," "Best Actor" and "Best Actress."

Since 1993, the festival has attracted a total of at least 800,000 students in Beijing and has brought a roster of a younger generation of film artists to stardom.

(China Daily September 25, 2003)