Chinese actress Zhang Jingchu and French actor Jean Reno attend the opening ceremony of the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival, which runs through Monday.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The ongoing 20th Shanghai International Film Festival is showcasing around 500 acclaimed movies from 57 countries and regions. Xu Fan reports.

It rains frequently in Shanghai, but the humid weather hardly dampens the passions of those who love or are involved in cinema. The first city in China to screen foreign movies in theaters as early as 1896 is paying tribute to the tradition.

The ongoing 20th Shanghai International Film Festival, which runs from June 17 to 26, features around 500 acclaimed movies from 57 countries and regions.

More than 400 celebrities, including French actor Jean Reno and Italian actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta, were at the opening ceremony.

Japanese romance Hirugao－Love Affairs in the Afternoon was a hit with 5,000 tickets sold online in 30 seconds.

Fans who failed to get tickets then turned to scalpers, who charged 2,000 yuan ($293)－more than 30 times the original price.

But despite Chinese enthusiasm for good movies, domestic filmmakers are not optimistic about their prospects.