Ticket sales for the upcoming 12th Shanghai International Film Festival are going well.

Group tickets went on sale last Tuesday and tickets for individuals went on sale on Saturday at 25 cinemas around the city, including the Shanghai Film Art Center, Yonghua Cinema and Studio City Cinema. Prices for screenings range from 30 yuan (US$4.40) to 60 yuan.

The festival's organizing committee said it does not have exact sales figures but more than 150,000 people have bought tickets so far.

Many movie buffs came to the Shanghai Film Art Center - the festival's main site - to snap up tickets over the weekend.

Jane Zang, a music teacher in her 20s, bought tickets for French romances "Jules and Jim" and "Seraphine."

"I am a huge fan of movies," said Zang. "The festival offers me a rare chance to see many highly acclaimed art house and experimental films on the big screen."

Yu Bohua, a 75-year-old retired engineer, has been attending festival screenings for many years.

"When I was young, I didn't have many opportunities to see foreign films," he said. "I want to make up for this while I'm still here."

Zhang Bin, a manager of the Shanghai Film Art Center, said it had taken more than 800,000 yuan in ticket sales.

The most popular films showing in the festival include Hollywood mystery thriller "Angles & Demons," Oscar-winning animation "Wall-E" and French crime thriller "Public Enemy Number One (Part 1)."

"There are very few tickets left for these screenings," Zhang said. "Compared to last year's festival, this year's brings many more recent productions to local audiences."

The festival, to be held from this Saturday until June 21, will screen about 300 foreign and domestic films. For more details about screenings, visit www.siff.com.

Ahead of the film festival, the 15th Shanghai Television Festival starts tonight at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Chinese pop singers Sun Nan and Mao A'min, and local comedian Zhou Libo will perform at the opening ceremony.

This year's TV festival will include an "audience day" for the first time. Local TV anchors, comedians and TV stars will present interactive programs with locals at the Shanghai Exhibition Center on Thursday.

The annual TV celebration, which runs until Friday, will hold events including the Magnolia Awards, the DocuChina film maker plan, international TV forums and a carnival gala.

(CRI June 8, 2009)