China Image film festival ends in London

Best Actor Award winner Kwok Aaron and Best Actress Award winner Yang Zishan pose after the closing ceremony of 5th China Image Film Festival at Cineworld Haymarket in London, Britain, on Nov 18, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

The week-long China Image Film Festival, the largest Chinese movie feast in Europe, came to a close in London Monday evening after over 20 awards were announced.

Xue Xiaolu won the awards as best director and best playwright for her romantic comedy Finding Mr. Right, while crime movie Silent Witness was voted the best movie and Hong Kong star Aaron Kwok the best actor. Yang Zishan, playing in the drama film So Young, was named the best actress.

"I hope after this festival, more audience, Chinese and foreign alike, could support Chinese films," said Kwok, already a renowned movie star in China. Xinhua News Agency won the best documentary award with its film about China.

A total of 20 films were on show over the week, attracting an audience of 5,000 to 6,000.

Although it is just a very small amount among hundreds of Chinese films each year, it allows the British audience to see how people "live, love, work, fight and die on the strange and exotic land, China," said Ivor Benjamin, chairman of Directors Guild of Great Britain.

The films are of good quality in cinematography and design, he said. "Many new young directors came out, which is exciting." Jia Zhendan, founder of the festival, said China and Britain could work together to produce some stories attracting global audience.