Renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou and Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan have been honored at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Both received awards for Outstanding Contribution, the highest honor at the festival, which started on Saturday with all the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood party.

More than 300 movie stars, including Singapore's very own Fann Wong and Hollywood star Brendan Fraser, graced the gala opening night.

Star-studded events like this are rare in China.

But the opening night at this year's Shanghai International Film Festival was literally a who's who of the Asian movie world.

The long red carpet outside the Shanghai Grand Theater, lined with hundreds of photographers, camera crews and screaming fans, was definitely the place to be seen.

Among the celebrities invited to the gala event were Singapore's own Fann Wong.

This year's film festival coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Chinese film industry, so it is no surprise that the mainland movie stars and Hong Kong celebrities attracted the greatest attention.

The opening movie at the film festival was a biopic about Lu Xun, the "Father of China's Modern Literature".

The Shanghai International Film Festival is one of the most eagerly anticipated events for regional movie buffs.

Not only do they get to see a galaxy of film stars, they also get to watch some of the best movies from China and abroad.

This is the 8th time Shanghai is playing host to this international event, a clear sign of the city's ambition to make its presence felt in the global film industry.

(China Daily June 13, 2005)