PYONGYANG -- The 16th Pyongyang International Film Festival kicked off here on Wednesday, with the Chinese film Operation Red Sea being screened at the opening ceremony.

At the film festival, many local and foreign films will be screened, including 16 films from China, such as The Founding of An Army and Wolf Warrior 2. Other countries attending the festival include Russia and Iran.

There will be competitions for long feature, documentary, short and animated films, special screenings, information screenings and film exchange meetings during the festival.

The 10-day festival, which pursues the ideals of independence, peace and friendship, will contribute to bolstering exchanges and cooperation between progressive film makers in the world, said a cultural official of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the opening ceremony.

The biennial Pyongyang International Film Festival began in 1987 as a cultural event solely for developing countries, but has turned cosmopolitan in recent years.