More than 100 films from around the world will be featured at the International Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, which might smell a distinct Chinese flavor this time.

The festival, which opened on Monday, will focus on "new wave" films from China, a range of documentaries, depicting recent changes there and the emergence of a new national identity.

A major South African project, with some 30 films about AIDS, will also be featured.

Festival organizers this year renamed the event, formerly known as the Nyon documentary festival. But many of the films are still of a documentary nature, giving dynamic, humorous or provocative glimpses into the society or some social issues.

Swiss filmmakers of course wedge a stall in the festival.

Most notably, Erich Langjahr will screen the concluding part of his trilogy about farmers in Switzerland, titled "Shepherd ride in the third millennium."

Langjahr said the aim of his project was to "get closer to one of the oldest ways of living known to man."

In addition, the festival has scheduled workshops examining documentaries by Frederick Wiseman of the United States and the Canadian Donigan Cumming.

The organizers said they had received 1,125 unsolicited reels from filmmakers who were keen to take part in the festival.

In the end, a total of 1,500 films from around the world were narrowed down to 113 films from 21 countries.

The festival, titled "Visions of Reality", runs until May 4.

( April 23, 2002)