Beijing rolls out carpet for annual film festival

Director John Woo (L4) leads the jury at the 4th Beijing International Film Festival. Chinese directors Lu Chuan (L3) and Ning Hao (R3) also participate as judges. Jiang Dong / For China Daily

4th Beijing Int'l Film Festival kicks off

Chinese mainland stars who have won at the HKFA

China has become the most important overseas market for Hollywood studios. According to a report by the MPAA, the 2013 box office revenue in the United States was $10.9 billion, compared to $10.8 billion in 2012. China last year saw a record 21.8 billion yuan in box office revenue, a 27.5 percent rise over 2012.

The winners of the second annual Tiantan Awards will be decided by a jury led by director John Woo, who is now making a wartime romance starring Zhang Ziyi and South Korean actress Song Hye-gyo.

Woo, working with Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta, French director Philippe Muyl, Chinese directors Lu Chuan and Ning Hao, Spanish producer Andres Vicente Gomez and Indian director Rajkumar Hirani, will announced the winners at the closing ceremony on April 23.

At last year's festival, 8.7 billion yuan in agreements were signed to invest in a total of 27 projects. That figure is expected to exceed 10 billion yuan this year, said Zhao Zhiyong, deputy-secretary-general of the organizing committee.

Founded in 2011 and backed by the Beijing municipal government, the festival is the first of its kind in the capital.