From left: Yang Song, Chinese consul for cultural and press affairs, Hunter Todd, founder and CEO of WorldFest, and Peng Chen, director of Walking to School, chat at the film festival on Apr 11 in Houston.[Photo by MAY ZHOU/CHINA DAILY]

A total of seven Chinese movies and short films are featured in Houston's 48th Annual WorldFest international film festival which opened on April 10. Titled Panorama China, the group of films attempts to present various aspects of China to the audience, said Wang Yigong, Chinese consul for cultural and press affairs.

Walking to School, a film about children and schooling among China's Lisu minority in remote areas of Yunnan province, was presented on the night of April 11 at AMC 30, part of the theater chain now owned by Wanda.

Peng Chen, who wrote and directed the film, was at the screening. Peng said this was his first attempt at making a movie and it turned out to be a success.

"I was shooting a commercial at Nujiang River when I saw kids gliding on the cable to cross the river to go to school, and I was very much touched. The idea of turning it into a movie seized me and I immediately started working on the screenplay when I got back to Beijing," said Peng.

The movie has been well received and won a few awards at various international film events, said Peng.

"I feel lucky that my film was recommended to participate in this film festival. I later learned that my idol — director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) — was first recognized at this festival. I feel very much encouraged," said Peng.

Hunter Todd, founder and CEO of WorldFest, said that more than 500 films were entered and 51 were chosen to be presented at the festival. What's the standard to pick a winner? It's simple, according to Todd: "A story well told."

Three other Chinese movies featured at the festival are Hua Mulan, the story of a woman who disguises herself as a man to fight in battle in ancient China; So Young, stories about young love and fading youth; and China Women, a tragic story about women trapped in traditional values.

WorldFest will run through April 19. Besides 51 features, 125 shorts are also part of the program.

mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com