This year's film festival season will get a kungfu start on the Chinese mainland.

The 17th Beijing College Student Film Festival, which is to kick off the mainland's 2010 film awards season on April 7, will open with Hong Kong action film Ip Man 2, Sina.com.cn reports.

The movie, the second installment in a biopic series about Bruce Lee's mentor, Yip Man, will premiere after the film festival's opening ceremony. It will be the only screening of the film before it rolls out in mainland theaters on April 29.

Director Wilson Yip and lead actor Donnie Yen will be present at the opening ceremony, the Sina report says.

Donnie Yen, who plays Wing Chun master Yip Man, was voted Best Actor by last year's student jury for the previous Ip Man film.

Donnie Yen told Sina that he is looking forward to retaining his title this year.

The annual Beijing College Student Film Festival acts as a barometer of how films are received among college students, who now make up an indispensable part of China's movie audience.

During the festival, a diversity of Chinese films will be screened in universities across Beijing. Filmmakers and actors will also interact with students at lectures or screenings, and master classes will be arranged.

Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor/Actress are decided by a jury of students and critics. Students are also encouraged to vote for their favorite actors.

This year's Beijing College Student Film Festival runs from April 7 to May 8.

(CRIENGLISH.com March 18, 2010)