Chinese film turns 100 years old in 2005. The Western art genre was first introduced to Chinese art circles and audiences in 1905.

On the occasion of its centenary, a series of celebratory activities entitled "Paying Tribute to Chinese Cinema Art" has been jointly launched by the Academy of Media and Film Art of Beijing Normal University, the Beijing-based IDG Film & TV Services, and 10 of the most influential movie magazines in China.

Major activities include a vote for the Top 100 Chinese Films (out of 130 candidate films), Top 100 Chinese Filmmakers (from 130 candidates), and Top 30 Songs in Chinese Films (from 100 candidate songs), a film screening tour at universities across the nation for students and teachers, a tour of themed lectures on the Chinese film art and history of Chinese film industry given by renowned film artists, critics, researchers, a nationwide design contest carried out among university students in the hope of singling out the best posters for centennial celebrations of Chinese film art, and a nationwide DV (Digital Video) Remakes of Classic Chinese Film Works Competition.

University students are also called to create their own words of congratulations for the centenary of Chinese film art, the good wishes for the future of Chinese film industry in the forms of e-mails, mobile phone short messages, ballots and cloth banners.

The list for the candidates will be hammered out by a jury comprised of renowned film historians, critics and student representatives across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and the Chinese mainland.

Those chosen will be short-listed from feature films that have been made and screened on the Chinese mainland, the organizers say.

The voting will be completed on March 25 through the means of print ballots and an online voting system at www.film festival.com.cn, the official website for the Beijing Students' Film Festival.

About 20 of the top 100 films will be selected and shown for Chinese university students until the end of the year.

The celebratory activities are supported by 29 universities in Beijing and at least 70 universities and colleges across the country, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Nankai University, Nanjing University, Fudan University, Sichuan University, Zhejiang University, Jilin University and Wuhan University.

"I have learned that many celebrations of the same kind will be staged this year. What we are doing may not be remembered as the most important and authoritative celebratory events. But they are very unique as they are held for the university students and by the university students," said Huang Huilin, dean of the Academy of Media and Film Art of Beijing Normal University, at a press conference last weekend.

"The voting results may offer Chinese film circles a new perspective -- and may also prompt more young moviegoers to care about the development of Chinese film market," she said.

At least one million university students are expected to participate in the activities, organizers say.

(China Daily January 14, 2005)