The first China-Brazil Film and Television Festival has opened in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, showing outstanding films and programmes made in each country in recent years, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency says science-fiction films, action films, romantic comedies, costume dramas, cartoons and documentaries are on the programme of the festival.

The report says the state government and the Chinese Consulate-General in the city of Rio de Janeiro are jointly putting on the festival to mark 45 years since Brazil and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations.

Regular Sino-Brazilian exchanges in the field of the arts and culture may strengthen ties between ordinary Chinese and Brazilians and so lead to cooperation in other fields, the report quotes Consul-General Li Yang as saying.

The festival opened on Monday and will close on September 11, Xinhua says.