11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicks off in Xi’an

The 11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicked off in Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Saturday.

The opening ceremony of the festival features various forms of art performances including intangible cultural heritage display, music, dance, and situational dramas, showcasing the charm of Xi'an as both the historical starting point of the ancient Silk Road and a modern city.

Co-hosted by China Media Group and the provincial governments of Shaanxi and Fujian, this year's festival will last till Wednesday. The festival has seen 24 films, including Chinese films "A Long Shot" - a blend of drama and thriller, "Like a Rolling Stone" which portrays a Chinese woman's self-awakening, and Documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru", entering the final race to compete for the "Golden Silk Road Award", the annual award recognizing achievements in 10 categories, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.

This year's "Golden Silk Road Award" has received applications from over 2,065 films from 136 countries and regions, setting new record.

The festival is set to present a series of special activities including the online and offline public screenings of nearly 300 Chinese and foreign films.

The Silk Road International Film Festival is held annually. Xi'an--the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Fuzhou--the capital of east China's Fujian Province alternate as hosts of the prominent event. The Silk Road International Film Festival is part of China's Silk Road Film Bridge Project, aiming to carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road and promote cooperation and exchanges of filmmakers from China and abroad.

11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicks off in Xi’an

China is ready to join hands with Brazil to build a China-Brazil community with a shared future and usher in the next "Golden 50 Years" of China-Brazil relations, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia Wednesday.

Xi made the announcement when he and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva jointly met the press after their talks where the two heads of state decided to elevate their ties to the China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

"We reached new strategic consensus on the future of China-Brazil relations. The most important decisions are to elevate the bilateral relationship to the China-Brazil community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet, and to promote synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Brazil's development strategies. In a world undergoing accelerated transformation, the decisions reflect the determination of China and Brazil, as two major developing countries, to identify, respond to and steer changes. They will certainly enable the two countries to carry forward the past achievements in the relations and usher in the next 'golden 50 years,' as well as to set an example for Global South nations to seek strength through unity and make new contributions to increasing the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance," Xi said.

Xi is paying a state visit to Brazil after he attended the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Xi calls for ushering in next "golden 50 years" of China-Brazil relations