16 films shortlisted for top award at Beijing Int'l Film Festival

Sixteen films have been nominated to vie for a Tiantan Award, the official competition section of the upcoming Beijing International Film Festival, organizers said.

With diverse themes and settings, the films will showcase how filmmakers from different countries and regions relate to the world, and highlight issues they are concerned about.

"In Search of Lost Time," a film based on a real-life historical event in the 1950s and directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Yee, will open the week-long festival on Saturday.

The Tiantan Awards include 10 categories: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Artistic Contribution, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Music.

Seven well-known figures in the global film industry, including Chinese actor Li Xuejian, Italian director and producer Michelangelo Frammartino, and Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel, will be jury members for the Tiantan Awards.

The winners will be announced at the closing and awards ceremony of the film festival.