(240419) -- BEIJING, April 19, 2024 (Xinhua) -- Actress Lan Yingying (C) and actor Liu Yichang (R) pose for a group photo on the red carpet of the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) in Beijing, capital of China, April 18, 2024. The 14th BJIFF kicked off on Thursday in the Chinese capital, welcoming filmmakers from home and abroad to discuss movie development and promote cultural exchanges in the industry. Members of 14th Tiantan Award jury of this year's BJIFF, led by Serbian director Emir Kusturica as jury president, appeared at the opening ceremony. A total of 1,509 films from 118 countries and regions applied to the competition this year, with 15 selected to contend for the Tiantan Award. (Xinhua/Chen Zhonghao)