The first Asia-Pacific art unit of the Venice Film Festival started selection on Sunday in east China's Shanghai.
The films shot from August 1, 2016 to August 15 this year in more than 30 countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific could compete in the event, said Jiang Bo, president of the Shanghai Film Art Academy, which hosts the Asia-Pacific Art Unit.
The Asia-Pacific art unit has more than 10 awards.
The unit will be a platform for the exchange of China-European film cultures, transaction of film products and fostering of young film talent in the Asia-Pacific region, said Jiang.
In September last year, the academy signed a five-year cooperation agreement with the Venice Film Festival to host its Asia-Pacific Art Unit.
Over the past decade or so, China has seen a surge in box office revenue from a mere 1 billion yuan (around 147 million U.S. dollars) in 2003 to 45.7 billion yuan in 2016.
