COLOMBO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A five-day Chinese Film Festival kicked off in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on Friday evening to celebrate the Chinese New Year and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The film festival was organized by the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka.

General Manager of the National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka Nimal Abeywardena said the Chinese Film Festival was being hosted for the fourth consecutive year and with China having a vast film industry, Sri Lanka hoped to come into a mutual agreement to air more Chinese films in theaters islandwide.

"We hope to show Chinese films in our local theaters throughout the year," Abeywardena said.

During the festival, seven Chinese films will be aired at the National Film Corporation till Feb. 6.

China's Ambassador to Sri Lanka Cheng Xueyuan said at the opening ceremony that within the past three years, the Chinese Film Festival had attracted over 4,000 people in the island country.

"The embassy will continue to work with the Sri Lankan sides to promote professional and technical exchange and cooperation in the film field between our two countries," Cheng said.

The films shown at the festival this year will feature love story, action, fantasy, suspense and environment.