NEW YORK - The 4th New York Chinese Film Festival kicked off Tuesday evening at the city's Lincoln Center, introducing a host of Chinese filmmakers and their latest works to an American audience.

An array of Chinese film luminaries, including Donnie Yen, Miriam Yeung, Wu Xiubo and Zhao Wei, greeted screaming fans while walking the red carpet before the opening ceremony, enjoying unexpected warmth from overseas Chinese on a chilly autumn evening.

Acclaimed as Chinese actress Zhao Wei's directorial debut, "So Young" was selected as the opening film for this year's festival. The film portrays a group of young students' love and pain in their schooldays and their later struggles against reality, lamenting the loss of youth.

"Youth will eventually come to pass, but once it gets fixated in movies, it will retain eternity," Jia Qi, vice president of China Movie Channel (CCTV-6), said during the opening ceremony. "That is the appeal of movies."

Jia also expressed hope that people from different countries could engage in the interaction of heart through the medium of movies, which transcend international boundaries and languages.

The Chinese film industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom, said Sid Ganis, vice president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who is co-chairing the film festival.

"Every single day, 12 screens have to be built in China's cinemas to meet the market demands," he added. Ganis also expected the annual Chinese film festival to enhance exchanges between the two peoples.

The three-day event will present a number of awards to outstanding Chinese filmmakers and actors.

A total of seven Chinese films, including domestic box-office smash "Finding Mr. Right" and Kong Fu blockbuster "Ip Man", will make their American debut during the festival.

The New York Chinese Film Festival was founded in 2010 by CCTV-6 and the Chinese American Arts Council (CAAC) to promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States.