BEIJING, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Since its inception, the Tiantan Award has become an important platform for the exchange and dialogue of cinema between Chinese and international filmmakers, said participants to the 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF).

"To me, Tiantan has always meant exactly that: friendship, and the kind of legend that only cinema can create," said renowned French actress Juliette Binoche.

Binoche is the jury president of the 16th Tiantan Award, who appeared at the opening ceremony of the BJIFF on Thursday evening, alongside other jury members.

Tiantan is the Mandarin name for Beijing's iconic tourist attraction, the Temple of Heaven. Binoche said that 68 years ago, the first co-production between France and China brought a French brother and sister to Beijing, drawn here by a kite, and it was at the Temple of Heaven that they found friendship.

This year, a total of 1,826 films from 139 countries and regions applied to the competition, with 16 selected to contend for the Tiantan Award.

Sun Junmin, director of the publicity department of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, said that after 16 years of development, the BJIFF has become an important platform for showcasing Chinese cinema and promoting exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign films.

Sun added that Beijing will continue to optimize the environment for film production, improve mechanisms for artistic creation, strengthen the R&D and application of new film technologies, and integrate film into everyday life while promoting cross-sector integration.

Diverse online and offline activities, such as international film screenings and forums, will be held during the festival.

Launched in 2011, the festival aims to boost exchange among global industry players. It has been attracting increasing international attention thanks to China's booming film market. ■