Kent Tong, a veteran Hong Kong actor, said it felt like a magical moment when he heard that a restored and reedited 4K version of his 1982 romance, Nomad, would be screened during the film festival, which made him feel like he was traveling back in time.

Award-winning director Gu Xiaogang's Dwelling by the West Lake, depicting a young man's endeavor to save his mother from a pyramid scheme, was selected as the festival's opening film. Actor Wu Lei, who stars in the movie, said he was deeply drawn to the film's themes of love and redemption.

As one of the top highlights, more than 240 movies have been scheduled for around 750 screenings in 27 cinemas across Beijing, neighboring Tianjin and Hebei province.