Tickets to eight French films went on sale Tuesday in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The films will be shown with Chinese subtitles during the French Film Festival, which will be held here from April 13-17, according to Zhao Kangbin, deputy general manager of Xingmei Films Development Co. Ltd of Chengdu.

Chengdu is the third stop of the French movie festival in China, after Beijing and Shanghai. It will go on to Wuhan in central China and Nanjing in east China.

Lin Yuanyuan, a resident of Chengdu, said, "I'm simply fascinated by the strong French cultural atmosphere produced in French President Jacques Chirac's visit to Chengdu last year, and the wonderful cultural programs staged by French artists during the president's visit."

"I feel lucky because Chengdu is the only west Chinese city to be chosen as the host of the French movie festival, so I won't let this chance sneak away," Lin said.

Tickets for single shows cost 40 yuan (about US$4.82) each, while passes to all eight cost 180 yuan (about US$21.7) each, said Zhao.

The French Film Festival is among the many activities planned for the French Culture Year in China, which began last October. Before the French Culture Year in China, the Chinese Culture Year in France was held from October 2003 to July 2004.

A number of other cultural exchange events will also be organized as the French Film Festival is staged in Chengdu, according to Gan Lu, the publicity section chief of Chengdu City Cultural Bureau.
 
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2005)