David Wu and Li Kun host the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Beijing International Film Festival, at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven Park, April 16, 2013, Beijing, China. [CRIENGLISH.com, Photo: Zhang Linruo]

The Third Beijing International Film Festival opened on Tuesday and will last from April 16th to April 23rd 2013, with Beijing Olympic Park serving as the core area, and National Conference Center as the main venue.

A model dressed in a vivid China Red dress with golden dragon prints presents the "Tiantan Award" to audiences at the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Beijing International Film Festival, at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven Park on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. [CRIENGLISH.com, Photo: Zhang Linruo]

Organizers say this large-scale, international film event offers a significant platform for the Chinese film industry to integrate and cooperate with the international film community. The innovative and market-orientated festival signifies a major event for Beijing in its efforts to build itself as China's cultural center.

The major highlights of the festival include the Opening Ceremony, the Beijing Film Panorama, the Beijing Film Market, the Beijing Forum, The Best in Wo.Film Carnival and the Closing & Awards Ceremony. Beginning from this year, the festival will also feature a new award category, the "Temple of Heaven Award" which encompasses ten awards with "Beauty in Varity, Harmony in Diversity" as its core value.

In addition to the Beijing International Film Festival, several other related events will also be taking place; these include the Film Enterprises Communication, the 20th Beijing College Student Film Festival, China's Ethnic Minority Languages Film Festival, and the 18th Beijing Film Festival for Youth Welfare.

The Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Beijing International film Festival takes place at the historical landmark of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing. The ceremony kicked off the festival in grand style with striking cultural displays, as well as the revealing of the new "Tiantan" Award trophy.

The ceremony is divided into two parts; the first features the "Beauty in Variety" light show which utilizes the delicate structure of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest to create a time tunnel showing the fluctuations of time integrated with the dreams of the millennium.

The second part of the ceremony, the "Cultural Sharing", encompasses the large-scale "Harmony in Diversity" musical, which embeds Chinese culture in a dreamland of film, and shows unforgettable moments from the Beijing International Film Festival since its founding three years ago.