Actors, actresses and producers in the movie circles in the Asia Pacific region gathered in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and opened the 50th film festival of the region.     

The event, with the theme Towards International Success this year, will see 45 movies, documentaries and cartoons from 16 countries and regions vie for 14 prizes, including the New Police Story from Hong Kong, China, the Buffalo Boys from Vietnam, Stony Blossoms from Iran, Shutter from Thailand.

The opening ceremony, held at the Istana Budaya national theater in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the golden jubilee of the region's most prestigious film festival, were attended by some 400 delegates of the movie-making business in the region.

"Notwithstanding that Bollywood and Hollywood have carved a niche for themselves in being the most productive producers of movies, there are still vast areas in the world of film making in the Asia Pacific region that wait to be explored," said Malaysian Culture Minister Utama Rais Yatim when he opened the festival.

He believed that the golden jubilee celebration will spur future progress and excellence in the region's movie industry.

Some major cinemas in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday began to offer to the public free shows of the movies presented at the festival which will end on Saturday. Jackie Chan, a popular movie star from Hong Kong, China, is expected to attend the closing ceremony on Saturday.

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2005)