(Photo: VCG)

BEIJING, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of applicants to a prestigious film academy in China has hit a record high.

The admission exam of Beijing Film Academy (BFA) began Saturday, with close to 60,000 applicants joining the competition, a year-on-year increase of 31.02 percent, according to the academy.

The academy plans to recruit 520 students this year, 30 more than in 2018, for its 16 schools and departments.

A total of 10,454 students have applied for BFA's Performing Arts School, which will enroll only 60 students, based on the candidates' performances during the art exam and their results in the gaokao -- China's national college entrance examination.

Among the 24 majors open for application, new media art reported the biggest growth, with a year-on-year increase of 284.36 percent in the number of applicants.

A cradle of Chinese film producers, BFA enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad, having turned out a number of superstars in the film industry.