QINGDAO -- The first Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) film festival opened in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, Wednesday.

As a major cultural exchange activity following the latest SCO summit in Qingdao, the five-day event has attracted films produced in the past two years by 12 countries, including 23 vying for the film awards and 55 slated for screening.

China's initiation of the SCO film festival has won a positive response from SCO states, which showed their aspirations to promote film cooperation and cultural exchanges, said Wang Xiaohui, director of the State Film Administration.

The event could be a starting point for the future development of the film industries of SCO states by learning from each other and enhancing cooperation, Wang added.

The film festival was co-hosted by the State Film Administration and Shandong provincial government.