The second Laos-China Film Festival with open-air movies being screened across Laos has expanded cultural exchange, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Wednesday.

The Chinese embassy to Laos in cooperation with the Lao Department of Cinema under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and China Radio International in Laos (CRI Laos) jointly opened the second Laos-China Film Festival Tour in Lao capital Vientiane on last Friday.

"The event brought three excellent Chinese movies dubbed into Lao language with subtitles in Chinese," said the political counselor at the Chinese embassy, Zhao Chenggang.

The Chinese and Lao films have started open-air screenings in the provinces of Savannakhet, Champassak, Attapeu, Vientiane, Xayaboury, Xieng Khuang and Huaphan in November and December, CRI Laos told Xinhua on Wednesday.

To make the Chinese films more appealing to local audiences, CRI invited local stars to dub characters' voices into Lao. "Films have become an important part of encouraging cultural exchange between peoples," Vientiane Times quoted Zhao as saying.

Speaking at last Friday's launch, Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Boua Ngeun Xaphouvong said the festival played an important role in boosting the exchange of culture between the two nations. It would particularly encourage Lao people to learn about Chinese culture through the medium of motion pictures.

Boua Ngeun hoped the festival would play a part in continuing to enhance relations and cooperation between the two countries.