Film festival showcases Chinese culture

Chinese filmmakers once again came under the spotlight at the Toronto International Film Festival as the annual event kicked off its 40th year on Thursday.

Festival fever descended upon the Canadian metropolis when Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts graced the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall for the world premiere of Demolition, a much-anticipated feature from Oscar-nominated Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee.

Thirteen Chinese films were scheduled for screening during the 11-day festival, which will line up about 400 films from over 70 countries and regions this year. Among them are Mountains May Depart by Jia Zhangke, Office by Johnnie To, Paths of the Soul by Zhang Yang and The Promised Land by He Ping.