11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicks off in Xi’an

The 11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicked off in Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Saturday.

The opening ceremony of the festival features various forms of art performances including intangible cultural heritage display, music, dance, and situational dramas, showcasing the charm of Xi'an as both the historical starting point of the ancient Silk Road and a modern city.

Co-hosted by China Media Group and the provincial governments of Shaanxi and Fujian, this year's festival will last till Wednesday. The festival has seen 24 films, including Chinese films "A Long Shot" - a blend of drama and thriller, "Like a Rolling Stone" which portrays a Chinese woman's self-awakening, and Documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru", entering the final race to compete for the "Golden Silk Road Award", the annual award recognizing achievements in 10 categories, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.

This year's "Golden Silk Road Award" has received applications from over 2,065 films from 136 countries and regions, setting new record.

The festival is set to present a series of special activities including the online and offline public screenings of nearly 300 Chinese and foreign films.

The Silk Road International Film Festival is held annually. Xi'an--the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and Fuzhou--the capital of east China's Fujian Province alternate as hosts of the prominent event. The Silk Road International Film Festival is part of China's Silk Road Film Bridge Project, aiming to carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road and promote cooperation and exchanges of filmmakers from China and abroad.

11th Silk Road International Film Festival kicks off in Xi’an

A concert celebrating the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was held in New York on Friday night, gathering envoys from various countries to convey the spirit of cooperation and multilateralism.

Themed "Better Together - In Celebration of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly," the concert took place at the iconic Carnegie Hall.

Annalena Baerbock, president of the 80th session of the UNGA, spoke on stage at event, underscoring that face of global challenges, countries in the world need to demonstrate courage and patience to seek harmony in discord and truly put "Better Together" into action.

The concert was performed by the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Symphony Orchestra and the Columbia University Teachers College Choir, along with young artists from around the world.

The young musicians presented several classic works at the event, hoping to highlight the important role of the United Nations in promoting mutual understanding and mutual learning between different cultures and civilizations.

"I can feel really proud saying I got invited by the United Nations, because the United Nations is in charge of the whole world. So it's really nice," said Zhang Runfeng, a 12-year-old pianist from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Concert celebrating UNGA 80th session held in New York