Sha Dan, a veteran exhibition organizer at the archive, says the restoration of the film is of great significance, adding it provides audiences a perceptible experience to revisit the early years of Chinese cinema.

A total of 50 screenings of 12 movies, including the 4K-restored I Am Cuba (1964), Don't Look Now …We're Being Shot At! (1966) and Paris, Texas (1984), were held in the five member theaters of the Suzhou Arts and Humanities Cinema Alliance.

Li Xiao, deputy director of Suzhou Dushu Lake Cinema, says the exhibition was a precious chance for the city's movie enthusiasts, as viewing a film on the silver screen is always a more satisfactory and enriching experience than on a streaming platform or playing a DVD.

Hollywood maverick director David Lynch's 2001 movie Mulholland Drive was the most sought-after classic at the festival, with its tickets sold out immediately.