Strong Chinese turnout in this year's Berlin Film Festival

Cast members arrive on the red carpet for the world premiere of the movie "Blind Massage" at the 64th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany, on Feb 10, 2013. "Blind Massage" is one of the three Chinese films vying for prizes in the Competition program. [Photo/Xinhua]

'That Demon Within' screens at Berlin Film Festival

Tang Wei portrays female writer Xiao Hong

More Chinese-language films are competing in the Panorama section: Dante Lam's supernatural thrillerThat Demon Within, Fruit Chan's adaptation of an online novel The Midnight After, Tsai Ming-liang's new segment of his experimental Walker series titled Journey to the West, The Rice Bomber by Cho Li, Ice Poison by Midi Z and Zhou Hao's auspicious debut The Night. This heavily Asian program is designed to promote art-house cinema with a clear auteur inclination.

Cao Baoping's Einstein and Einstein, about a teenage girl and her dog, is among the First Generation sidebar. The Movable Feast is picked for the Culinary Cinema program.

Besides those in competition, several Chinese-language films are on sale at the European Film Market, which runs alongside Berlinale. Most notable is The Golden Era, Ann Hui's upcoming biopic on female writer Xiao Hong. The pairing of Hui and Tang Wei is keeping many cinephiles in blissful prayer for something great.

Back to the main competition, Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai, a favorite with auteur filmmakers, is sitting on the judging panel, further arousing interest in China. As many as 73 percent polled on Sina.com were hopeful that Chinese-language films may bring home some kind of trophy.