Singers and dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 11th Changchun Film Festival in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Aug. 20, 2012. The 11th Changchun Film festival kicked off here on Monday. [Xinhua/Lin Hong]

Performers play zheng, a Chinese zither with 25 strings, at the opening ceremony of the 11th Changchun Film Festival in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, Aug. 20, 2012. The 11th Changchun Film festival kicked off here on Monday. [Xinhua/Lin Hong]

A leading Chinese film festival opened on August 20 in Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin province and a cradle of the country's film industry.

The six-day event is attended by renowned film directors, playwrights, actors and actresses, composers and officials from the Chinese mainland as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.

A total of 268 Chinese language films will be shown during the festival, 32 of which have been shortlisted for nine major awards.