XINING－For over a week, the cool summer nights in Xining, Qinghai province, were illuminated by a large outdoor screen.

The screen was part of the 14th FIRST International Film Festival that attracted hundreds of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts to the city.

The festival, which ran from July 26 to Aug 3, was aimed at helping emerging young filmmakers promote their work.

With a theme of "getting back to the cinema", it provided Xining residents with an opportunity to return to a familiar routine following the COVID-19 pandemic and months of restrictions to control the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"The open-air cinema of the film festival was set up to add more cultural elements to the city and better promote the festival, as well as new films," said Li Ziwei, one of the organizers.

Cinephiles, members of the film industry and some 600 reporters attended the festival.

Most tickets to the film screenings, including the open-air venue, were sold out as soon as bookings were opened to the public via online platforms. The organizers invited locals to sit on steps and watch movies on the giant outdoor screen for free. "As the screen was installed in one of the city's busiest commercial streets, the decision to invite more people to the free-entry area not only boosted consumption but also popularized the film festival among locals and tourists," Li said.

Gao Wenqiang, a security guard at the site, said the number of people at a screening sometimes exceeded 3,000. Li Ying, 64, enjoyed film screenings sitting on the concrete steps. "Watching films in an open-air venue is a childhood memory for our generation," Li Ying said.

Li Hailing, a 20-year-old student, was a regular visitor to the open-air cinema. "It's been a long time since I watched a movie in the theater with my friends, so this festival is a thrilling experience for young people. Even live bands performed here," she said.

The increased flow of tourists provided many businesses with an opportunity to make up for losses incurred during the pandemic in the first half of the year. One store owner said he sold 100 bottles of drink by 8:30 pm most nights.

Visitors to the festival had to comply with the pandemic prevention guidelines. They were required to show their health codes and undergo temperature screening before taking their seats.

"It is a pleasure and, at the same time, a pity to talk about cinema in 2020," said Xie Fei, a renowned film director and honorary president of the film festival. "At a time when the epidemic continues to overshadow the lives of many, and online viewing in lieu of theaters has become the new normal, I cannot emphasize enough how admirable it is for FIRST to hold its ground."

The China Film Administration allowed cinemas in low-risk areas to resume operations from July 20, following an improvement in the country's COVID-19 situation.

So far, 36 of the 50 cinemas in Qinghai have reopened.

Xinhua