5th Beijing International Film Festival will be in mid-April

The fifth Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) is scheduled to run from April 16 to 23.

The organizing committee recently announced that renowned French film director Luc Besson has accepted the invitation to preside over the international jury for the "Tiantan Award".

Besson's highly stylistic films like The Big Blue (1988), and Léon: The Professional (1994) gained him a reputation as a pivotal figure in the Cinéma du look movement and a talented film director. In 2014, his action thriller Lucy earned $412 million, breaking the box office record for his previous films.

Since its launch in 2011, the Beijing International Film Festival has developed into the largest international film expo in Asia.

As part of the festival, the Chinese and Foreign Film Cooperation Forum (BFM) is held annually, and the deals signed each year are rising up to be close to those made at the Cannes Film Festival.

The BFM provides a platform for international film exchange, with the participation of film and TV production studios, film industry associations and related agencies. Its aim is to target the entire industry, including film planning, production, promotion and distribution.

Last year, over 260 domestic and foreign films were screened at 30 movie theatres in Beijing. In 2015, the number is anticipated to be more than that of the previous year.

Nominated films will compete for 10 Tiantan Awards, including the best film, director, actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, best screenplay, best cinematography, best film score and best visual effects.

China's box office sales totaled 29.6 billion RMB ($4.84 billion) in 2014, attaining 36 percent growth compared to the previous year, according to the latest data released by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.

As the second-largest film market after the United States, China has seen a great surge in the film industry. Last year, China gained 5,397 screens and 1,015 cinemas, and its annual box office sales surpassed 10 billion RMB. It is anticipated that box office sales will amount to over 30 billion RMB, and China will surpass the U.S to be the world largest film market.