Local residents are in for a feast of glamor and stars when the 8th Shanghai International Film Festival, the only Category A international film festival in China, and the 11th Shanghai TV Festival open in June.

According to the organizing committee, the film festival, from June 11-19, will feature more public events this year in addition to the competition for the "Jin Jue" (Golden Goblet) Award.

"This year marks the centennial anniversary of the birth of the first Chinese movie Dingjun Shan (Dingjun Mountain)," said Ren Zhonglun, president of the Shanghai Film Group Corp and an official with the committee.

"Accordingly, the festival will honor two Chinese film artists who have had a big influence on Chinese movies, and an exhibition of classic Chinese films and movie posters will also be held."

Seven top filmmakers, including two Chinese, will be invited as judges.

During the festival, around 200 officially selected movies from home and abroad, including competition films, will be screened at 17 local cinemas. The Shanghai Film Art Center will be the main festival venue.

Separately, the TV festival, considered one of the most influential in Asia, will be staged on June 11-15. Ten experts in the field will form the "Magnolia International Jury Panel" to decide on the best TV drama and the best documentary.

Besides, an international TV forum, focusing on China's TV industry, and the International Radio, Film and TV Exhibition will highlight the event.

"The audiences will have an opportunity to see some excellent competition works on local channels," said Li Ruigang, president of the Shanghai Media Group.

In fact, with the city opening up further, locals are now able to see more Hollywood blockbusters at the same time as the films' global premiere.

After the simultaneous premiere of The Matrix III - Revolutions in 2003 and The Day After Tomorrow in 2004, it's the turn of The Interpreter, a film by Sydney Pollack, starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn.

The thriller's world premiere is on April 22, when the movie will also be released locally.

Wu Hehu, marketing director of the Shanghai United Cinema Lines - the city's leading cinema chain, revealed that Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith will be the next movie to be screened in town at its global premiere in May.

(Shanghai Daily April 11, 2005)