Chinese films will be in the spotlight during the 26th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), which runs from September 27 to October 12.

The festival, which kicked off Thursday, will showcase up to 24 Chinese films in a new China focus program named "China in the Spotlight" in its expanded "Dragons and Tigers: the Cinemas of East Asia" section, according to a VIFF release.

"We're proud to be able to represent the breadth of critical Chinese filmmaking today by presenting at VIFF a cross-section of films from each of these vital areas," said Shelly Kraicer, programmer of "China in the Spotlight."

The Sun Also Rises by Jiang Wen, Lust, Caution by Ang Lee,  Lost in Beijing by Li Yu will be among the most notable films to be shown during the festival.

A lineup of 333 films from about 75 countries will be shown during the festival, drawing an audience of over 150,000 people worldwide in the next two weeks, according to VIFF Director Alan Franey.

Highlighted international titles include the German-Turkish film The Edge of Heaven; the Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days; and the Iranian film Persepolis. All of these have won major awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

The festival opened with Atonement, adapted from Ian McEwan' s acclaimed novel and directed by Joe Wright. It will close with the French romantic comedy Priceless.

The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, Canada for two weeks between late September and early October. The festival began in 1982 and is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society. The festival shows both Canadian and international films, and has established itself as a reputation as a stepping-stone for many young Asian filmmakers. In 2004, it was the largest exhibitor of Asian films outside of Asia.

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2007)