CLUJ-NAPOCA, Romania, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) unveiled its Focus China section on Wednesday in Cluj-Napoca, northwest of Romania.

Emese Olah, deputy mayor of the host city, welcomed the Chinese delegation and said she expected the films to be screened in this section to help improve understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

At the launch ceremony, TIFF President Tudor Giurgiu said he was deeply honored to be able to organize the "Focus China" section in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Romania.

"The film exchange and cooperation between China and Romania has a long history, deeply connecting our hearts and minds for generations," said Chinese Cultural Counselor Zhao Li. She recalled how Romanian films such as "The Waves of the Danube" or "Ciprian Porumbescu" influenced and touched the hearts of the Chinese audience in 1970s and 1980s.

According to Zhao, the film industries of China and Romania have stepped up exchanges and cooperation in recent years. In 2018, the organizers of TIFF and the Silk Road International Film Festival of China signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation, and organized a Week of Western Chinese Films in Romania.

Last year, the Shanghai International Film Festival in China, together with the TIFF and other film festivals from 30 countries, jointly established the Belt and Road International Film Festival Alliance.

The "Focus China" section at the TIFF includes Chinese film screenings; a China-Romania film roundtable; a Chinese film restoration workshop; a Chinese film music concert; and a Chinese-Romanian movie poster exhibition.