Artists from China's Henan Province perform stunning acrobatics at the opening ceremony of Chinese Film Week in the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art on Thursday, March 22, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Chinese Film Week kicked off in Istanbul Thursday as part of celebrations for the 2012 China Culture Year in Turkey, local newspaper Today's Zaman reported.

The event opened with a night gala featuring traditional Chinese acrobatics by China's Henan Acrobatic Troupe.

In the coming week, seven of the best in contemporary Chinese films will be presented to Turkish audiences at the Istanbul Modern Cinema.

The films include Chinese historical epic "Confucius", "Forever Enthralled"—the biopic of the late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang—and the Oscar nominated cartoon "Dreams of Jinsha".

Besides China Culture Year, Chinese movies will be at the Istanbul International Film Festival in April with a special exhibition of Kung Fu films.