BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The ninth Beijing International Film Festival opened on Saturday evening, with 15 movies contending the "Tiantan Award" prizes.

Photo taken on April 13, 2019 shows the opening ceremony of the ninth Beijing International Film Festival in Beijing, capital of China. (Photo: Xinhua)

The festival consists of seven major activities including an opening ceremony, a forum, a film market and the Beijing Film Panorama intended for the public.

Fifteen selected films worldwide will be evaluated by a jury of seven prominent figures in the global film industry and contend for prizes of 10 categories in the festival's "Tiantan Award."

These 15 movies include China's sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth," "Sunset" (Hungary and France), "The Waiter" (Greece), "The Keeper" (Germany and Britain), "The Unorthodox" (Israel), and "Ben Is Back" (the United States), and "A Fortunate Man" (Denmark).

More than 300 smaller activities, such as film concerts and an "Indian Film Week," will be held during the festival, which will close on April 20.