Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF):

An influential film festival in Asia, the HKIFF provides a platform to award outstanding movie makers and professionals as well as to introduce new films.

Having launched with the Asian Film Awards since 2007, the festival attracts dozens of films around the Asia to vie for its prizes. In previous years, the awards were dominated by South Korean and Japanese films.

But this year, most of the prizes went to Chinese film makers, actors and actresses. Wang Xueqi, a veteran actor from the mainland, won the best actor award for starring in the kung fu thriller Bodyguards and Assassins, while Lu Chuan grabbed the best director award for his feature film City of Life and Death. Zhang Yimou, director of Raise the Red Lantern, won the prize for outstanding contribution to Asian cinema.

The festival ended on?April 6.

Hong Kong Film Award (HKFA):

The Hong Kong equivalent to the American Oscars and the British BAFTAs, HKFA is one of the most prestigious film awards in China. Films with both artistic achievements and commercial success are most likely to be the winners of the awards. This year, the big winner of the awards, to be announced April 18, is presumed to be the kung fu thriller Bodyguards and Assassins.

Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF):

A key platform for Chinese movies to go international, SIFF has developed into China’s only A-list festival. Launched with the Golden Goblet Awards, the festival always attracts audiences with its outstanding films and prestigious juries, like Feng Xiaogang, Oliver Stone and Luc Besson. As more foreign film companies acknowledged the importance of the Chinese market, they chose SIFF as a good occasion to premiere or promote their films.

Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival:

Organized by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and China Film Association, the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival is a big event for domestic filmmakers. It is held in different cities each year and usually lasts five days. The festival launches Golden Rooster Awards and Hundred Flowers Awards on alternate years. It also provides a platform for film scholars and critics to exchange their views.

Golden Horse Film Festival:

As an influential Chinese film festival in Taipei, the festival has awarded many domestic filmmakers and professionals with Golden Horse Awards. The ceremony is usually held in November or December with the awards going to films with great artistic achievements. The winners of the 46th Golden Horse Awards in 2009 included Taiwan-based screenwriter-director Leon Dai, Nick Cheung and Huang Bo and Li Bingbing.