New Delhi, March 27(IANS) A bouquet of nine contemporary Chinese films will be showcased at the Chinese Film Festival 2008 starting here Friday, the Directorate of Film Festival (DFF) announced Thursday.

The festival will be held from March 28 to April 2 at the Siri Fort Auditorium.

'We are pleased to host this film festival which is a part of our cultural exchange programmes. This festival is a part of an agreement that India signed with China,' Neelam Kapur, director of DFF, said.

She added the films that will be showcased here were well received at the recently held International Film Festival in Mumbai.

The nine films that will be showcased include 'Gun of Mercy', 'Call for Love', 'Honeymoon', 'Perhaps Love', 'The Silent Holy Stone', 'A world without thieves', 'Courthouse on the Horseback', 'The Banquet' and 'Fearless'.

A delegation including the director of 'Gun of Mercy' Xiao Feng, director of 'Call for Love', Zhang Jianya and two leading ladies of the two films have especially come to India to support the film festival.

Tony Gang, director general of State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), China said: 'I would like to thank the directorate here to lend such support to our films.'

Regarding the films to be showcased at the festival, Gang said the films reflect the Chinese culture, life and history to a large extent. 'People must enjoy the charm of Chinese art while they watch the movies,' he said.

Gang believes that the film festival will serve as an effective medium of collaboration between India and China.

'Through the success of the Chinese Film Festival, we hope to strengthen the development of the cinema industry of both the countries,' he said.

According to officials from the SARFT, classic Indian movies like the 1951 hit film 'Awaara' and 1971 comedy 'Caravan' became very popular in China. 'We look forward to more such films from India,' he said.