An opening banquet was held on Friday night at the Embassy of France in China, for the ongoing French film screening titled "Panorama Du Cinema Francois" in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Nanjing.

Altogether 12 French movies and 12 short movies are expected to screen in these four cities during April 26 and May 7.

Zhao Shi, deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television or SARFT, and Zhang Peimin, vice-director with the Film Administrative Office of SARFT, were invited to the banquet.

Chinese actor, Chen Kun, as an ambassador to the film screening, expressed his readiness to visit France on behalf of the Chinese moviemakers.

The actor's starring movie Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, invested-in by a French production company, was nominated as Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globe Awards in 2002.

French director Laurent Boutonnat's latest movie Jacquou Le Croquant was the opening movie for the film screening.

All movies will be shown in original French language with Chinese subtitles.

Herve Ladous, French Ambassador to China, speaks at the opening ceremony for the ongoing French film screening titled "Panorama Du Cinema Francois" in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Nanjing.

Chinese actor, Chen Kun is named as one of the ambassadors for the film screening, together with Super Voice Girl Shang Wenjie and veteran Chinese actor Shi Liang.

Jerome Seydoux, the leader of the visiting film group of "Panorama Du Cinema Francois" to China attends the opening ceremony on Friday in Beijing.

Chinese actress Gong Bibei attends the opening ceremony on Friday in Beijing.

(CRI.cn April 28, 2007)