Cross-Strait film festival opens in Taipei

TAIPEI -- The 14th Cross-Strait Film Festival opened in Taipei Thursday, at which eight mainland films will be screened till Monday.

The films include several latest blockbusters on the mainland, such as "Full River Red" directed by acclaimed director Zhang Yimou and "Moon Man," the sci-fi comedy, grossing a box office of about 3 billion yuan (about 419.42 million U.S. dollars) last year.

Tickets for a few popular mainland films have sold out since the booking started on July 2, according to the Taiwan-based Cross-Strait Films Exchange Committee, the Taiwan organizer of the film festival.

Several mainland actors and directors attended the opening ceremony and shared their ideas with local audiences.

Filmmakers on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have worked hard to maintain exchanges over the past three years regardless of the difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Chu Yen-ping, director of the committee.

Chu said he hopes that mainland filmmakers will enjoy this visit to Taiwan and push forward the cross-Strait film exchanges.

It has been a great opportunity for mainland filmmakers to visit Taiwan again as the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, said Yan Xiaoming, chief of the mainland delegation to the film festival, adding that they hope to work with fellows of Taiwan to produce more fine and popular works.

As part of the festival, several Taiwan films will be screened in Ya'an in Southwest China's Sichuan province from Aug 14 to 18.