The Shanghai International Film Festival kicked off on Saturday. The opening gala was graced by the presence of celebrities ranging from Chinese actress Gong Li, to Oscar-winning star Nicole Kidman, to British heart-throb Hugh Grant.

Shanghai Film Festival opens with glitzy star power

Gong Li, Lin Chi-ling, Nicolas Tse, Gao Yuanyuan, Xia Yu, Liu Yifei and South Korean celebrities like Rain, Son Tae-yeong and Song Seung-heon wave at fans and sign autographs as they make their way to the gala event at the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

Kidman's latest movie, Grace of Monaco will be presented in the film premiere section, giving the Chinese audience the opportunity to watch it before its official release here.

Grace of Monaco opened internationally at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14th, but its inspiration, actress Grace Kelly, and her captivating story are relatively unknown in China.

The film stars Kidman as Kelly, the American actress who married Prince Rainier of Monaco to become Princess Grace.

The movie was made by Olivier Dahan, the French director whose 2007 "La Vie en Rose" about the legendary singer Edith Piaf was a worldwide hit.

British actor Hugh Grant, who made his debut visit to Shanghai to promote his new work "The Rewrite", also walks the red carpet ahead of the opening ceremony.

Forty-six-year old Kidman is presented with the Outstanding Contribution Award at the festival by Hugh Grant and John Woo, while Chinese actor Jiang Wen is honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Film.

The visiting celebrities will also participate in a range of film industry activities during the festival, which is due to last through next Sunday.

The Shanghai Film Festival started in 1993 and is increasingly important as the Chinese box office has grown in the past years. And for the first time the jury for the Golden Goblet will be led by a woman, actress Gong Li.

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