Renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou will join the third Pingyao International Film Festival, scheduled to be held from Oct 10 to 19, where he will give a master class, according to the organizing committee.

At the master class, Zhang will share his views on the importance of passion and innovation in film-making with director Jia Zhangke, the initiator of the festival.

The film festival is held in Pingyao, a 2,700-year-old city and a World Cultural Heritage site in North China's Shanxi province. It aims to promote films produced in the non-Western world.

Born in Xi'an in 1950, Zhang is a leading figure of the "Fifth Generation" directors, who graduated in the 1980s and displayed strong emotions and visual impact in their representative works.

Zhang has won the Venice Golden Lion twice: in 1992 with The Story of Qiu Ju, and in 1999 with Not One Less. He also won a Silver Lion in 1991 for Raise the Red Lantern.