The 16th Shanghai Television Festival raised its curtain at Pudong's Oriental Pearl TV Tower yesterday evening with a grand ceremony to honor 85 domestic TV anchors who have made tremendous achievements over the past 30 years.

Shanghai TV host Cao Kefan, known for his celebrity interview program, "Kevin Hour," was honored for his versatility and honesty on screen.

This year's TV festival, which runs until Friday, will include the Magnolia Awards for international television productions, discussions on the international film and TV market, animation project pitching, Magnolia forum, TV film creative competition and a student television festival.

For the first time, the festival will launch an independent section of Magnolia International Documentary Awards.

"The Bund," the latest offering by veteran documentary film maker Zhou Bing, was the opening film of the section. The one-hour flick, which tells the story of the Bund from its beginnings as a muddy foreshore to its cosmopolitan reinvention, won acclaim from critics and audience members.

The film's international version will be aired on the National Geographic Channel.

"The Bund is actually a living witness to the huge development of the city over the past decades," said Zhou.

The documentary section also features a "DocuChina" selection of proposals from young talented directors.

Fledgling scriptwriters will get a chance to talk with TV and Internet leaders. Based on votes from professionals and Netizens, the best three scripts will be purchased by film and TV companies and made into screen productions.

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