The 21st Beijing College Student Film Festival (BCSFF) entered its third decade Tuesday after opening at Beijing Normal University. Various film screenings and symposiums have been scheduled for the influential domestic film festival, and an award ceremony will be broadcast live on CCTV-6 on May 10, the last day of the festival.

Since 1993, BCSFF has always been the first domestic film festival in China to be held every year. Recognized by the film industry, many young directors such as Huo Jianqi and Shi Runjiu, kicked off their careers when they received their first movie award at the festival. One of the things that sets BCSFF off from other festivals is the involvement of college students. Besides contributing student made films, students are also involved in selecting and judging all the films at the festival.

Liu Chuansheng, honorary president of BCSFF, said, "I hope BCSFF will continue to focus on the development of Chinese movies and strengthen its influential power among students, while also finding and cultivating young talent, and building a platform for young film talents."

A unique award segment "The Five Best Films and Directors of the Past 20 years" was held during the opening ceremony. Assembly (2007), Sanmao Joins the Army (1992), Hero (2002), Back to Back, Face to Face (1994) and Feng Shui (2012) were all awarded prizes, while directors Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Yimou, Ning Hao, Huang Jianxin and Xie Fei were awarded for their directorial contributions to the Chinese film industry.