Organizers of this year's Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) expressed optimism that the festival will set new records in terms of the scale of exhibitors, the number of project contracts that will be signed and the quality of lined-up activities.

Zhao Zhiyong, the executive deputy secretary general of the festival, said the number of international exhibitors in the 14^th Beijing International Film Festival has increased to 125, surpassing for the first time the number of domestic exhibitors.

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The total number of exhibitors in this year's festival has already reached 248, or 20 percent more than the total number of exhibitors last year, Zhao told reporters during a press conference.

A total of 800 Chinese and international film companies and organizations as well as more than 3,000 guests are attending the 4^th BJIFF, which runs from 16 April to 23 April. Around 110 activities are also lined-up for the entire duration of the festival, which is expected to attract at least one million visitors.

Zhao also revealed that the amount of the project contracts that will be signed during the festival is expected to surpass 10 billion yuan, or around US $1.6 billion, focusing on film investment program, funding, and base construction.

One of the highlights of the 14^th BJIFF is the Tiantan Award and Zhao said 837 movies from 88 countries have registered to compete for the prestigious award. The competitors include 682 overseas films and 155 Chinese films. Only 15 entries advance to the finals.

The 15 finalists in this years 14^th BJIFF are Back to 1945 (China), Feng Shui (china), Great Expectations (UK), Gone Fishing (Argentina), Home for the Weekend (Germany), If Only Everyone (Armenia), Inch' Allah (Canada/France), Lore (Australia), Maddened By His Absence (France), Manslaughter (Netherlands), My German Friend (Germany), Modest Reception (Iran), Song For Marion (UK), The Fantastic World of Juan Orol (Mexico), and What The Day Owes The Night (France).