An impressive delegation of Chinese filmmakers will be screening films at the Angelika Film Center.

A Celebration of Chinese Cinema: Five Decades of Outstanding Chinese Film, which includes 13 films from the late 1940s to the present, kicks off tonight with the new Chinese adventure film, Red River Valley, shot in Tibet.

Chinese directors Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lanter, Red Sorghum, Shanghai Triad), He Qun (Boys and Girls) and Feng Xiaoning (Red River Valley) and actress Ning Jing (star of Red River Valley) will attend tonight's screening at the Angelika. They will be introduced to the audience after the film, and if time allows, there will be a brief question and answer session.

The delegation's visit, which is part of a tour that includes New York, Los Angeles and Montreal, is an effort to increase American awareness of Chinese movies.

Like the French film industry, which held a festival in Houston last year, the Chinese industry is trying to improve its access to world film markets. Because it is the largest market, the United States is an important part of that strategy.

"They are very interested in acquaintingthe American public with Chinese films," said Ruda Dauphin, an executive director of the Chinese Film Showcase. "They want to create a market here. And they will also be open to co-production discussions. They want world participation, and cinema is a very important industry."

Aside from the attempt to reach art film audiences, this also means showing off Chinese film product in cities which have very large Asian communities, such as New York and Houston.