British actress and director Carmen Chaplin stars in a promotional short movie for Jaeger-LeCoultre. [Photo/China Daily]

Swiss luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is sponsoring the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival. Sun Yuanqing reports.

The art of filmmaking is all about getting the timing right - and now the best film and watch makers in the world are coming together at the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Swiss luxury watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre is sponsoring the festival and launched their new campaign "Open A Whole New World" at the event's opening on June 13.

The campaign promotes the brand's passion for beauty and explores the mystery of watches with short movies featuring their five brand ambassadors, including British actress and director Carmen Chaplin, who is also the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin.

Jaeger-LeCoultre has been the official partner of the Shanghai International Film Festival since 2011. The watchmaker also funds a project to restore China's classic films and has paid to restore 10 Chinese cinema classics, including The Spring River Flows East, which was shot in the 1940s.

The latest film to be restored is A Better Tomorrow by Hong Kong director John Wu, which will be screened at this year's festival. Hong Kong director Tung-Shing Yee's New Endless Love is the latest film to be picked up by the project and it will be restored later this year.

A special edition of Jaeger-LeCoultre iconic "Rendez-Vous Moon" watch was designed especially for the film festival and was auctioned at the opening ceremony. All proceeds will go toward the restoration project.

A long-time patron of the film industry, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been the official partner of the Venice International Film Festival for almost a decade. It also sponsors films festivals in San Sebastian, Toronto, Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles.