The sixth annual Beijing International Film Festival has kicked off in China's capital. Si Nan takes a look at the stars who captured the spotlight at the opening event. 

The sixth annual Beijing International Film Festival has kicked off in China's capital.

Beijing rolls out the red carpet. More than 300 domestic and foreign filmmakers, directors, actors, and actresses graced the opening ceremony.

Stars included Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Christoph Waltz, Hong Kong actors Chow Yun Fat and Wallace Chung, and South Korean actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Min-ho. 

Natalie Portman brought her directing debut, A Tale of Love and Darkness.

"It is a huge honor, of course, to get to show my film here and also to get to share with Chinese audiences. We have gotten to see Zhang Yimou's films, of course, in the U.S. So, it would be wonderful to get to work with Chinese filmmakers or actors," she said.

Natalie Portman

American producer-director Bret Ratner, who directed The Revenant, will head the jury panel at the film festival. 

Fifteen out of some 430 films from 42 countries and regions have been shortlisted this year for the main competition.

China is the rising challenge to the North American film market - still the world's largest - but where box office growth has stalled. 

In February, monthly ticket sales in China exceeded those in the United States for the first time, propelled by local hit "The Mermaid" and the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.