BERLIN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 75th Berlin International Film Festival opened on Thursday, with two Chinese-language films competing for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bear awards.

Also known as the "Berlinale," the festival features a total of 19 films. It kicked off with the world premiere of The Light, a feature film directed by German filmmaker Tom Tykwer. The film follows the Engels family, a modern Berlin household whose fractured relationships begin to mend after the arrival of Farrah, a Syrian immigrant working as a housekeeper.

Chinese cinema is also making an impression at this year's festival, with two films competing for the festival's top prizes: Girls on Wire, directed by Vivian Qu and starring Liu Haocun and Wen Qi, and Living the Land, directed by Huo Meng and executive-produced by Yao Chen.

This year's jury is headed by American independent director Todd Haynes, whose films have earned him multiple Oscar nominations. He is known for critically acclaimed works such as Far from Heaven, Velvet Goldmine, and Carol. Joining him on the jury are French-Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch, and German director Maria Schrader, among other prominent figures from the global film industry.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to cinema, the Berlinale awarded Scottish actress Tilda Swinton the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement during the festival's opening gala at the Berlinale Palast.

The Berlinale is one of the world's leading film festivals, and is held annually in the German capital. This year's Berlinale will run until Feb. 23. Enditem

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