Movie stars Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi (L) pose on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the first Beijing International Film Festival at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, capital of China, April 23, 2011. The six-day event, for which Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi were invited as image ambassadors, kicked off here Saturday. [Xinhua/Li Fangyu]

The first Beijing International Film Festival kicked off Saturday, rolling out the red carpet for more than 100 world-famous actors and directors at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

Kung Fu star Jackie Chan, Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi, "Lion King" director Rob Minkoff and Darren Aronofsky, director of the Oscar-winner movie "Black Swan", are among those attending the red-carpet entrance ceremony.

The festival, to run till next Thursday, has scheduled activities including screening of films, forums, film marketing discussions and film concerts.

The festival is organized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) and Beijing Municipal Government.

The event seeks to provide a platform for world filmmakers and film festival chairmen to discuss industry development, for film buyers and sellers to share business opportunities, and also for foreigners to learn more about Beijing, said Li Chunliang, chief of the Beijing branch of SARFT.

Zhang Huijun, president of the China Film Academy, said the world had a glimpse of Chinese culture in Hollywood movies such as "Kung Fu Panda" and "Mulan" , while the festival provides a vital opportunity for the world to learn more.

"Chinese culture should be better known, and so should the Chinese movie market," he said.

According to Zhang, China produced more than 500 movies last year as China' s total box office revenues reached 10 billion yuan.

Yin Hong, a film and TV communications professor with Tsinghua University, said China had seen a movie market with an annual growth rate of 30 percent, compared with an average world growth rate of 7 to 8 percent.

"The purpose of the Beijing International Film Festival is not only to promote communications in the industry, but also to promote multilateral cooperation among different cultures," Yin said.