Organised by Rainbow Film Society, the festival will continue till January 25.

About 200 films from 30 countries including Bangladesh will be screened in five venues.

The main venue of the film festival is Shawkat Osman Memorial auditorium at the Central Public Library. The other venues are Shaheed Zia auditorium at the National Museum, German Cultural Centre auditorium, Russian Science and Cultural Centre auditorium and Star Cineplex.

Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan formally inaugurated the festival at Shaheed Zia Auditorium.

Chaired by Syed Margub Murshed, the chairman of the festival committee, the inaugural function was also addressed by High Commissioner of Norway Wood Lice Norham, Acting High Commissioner of Australia Richard Rogers, founder general secretary of Rainbow Film Society Mostafa Kamal and festival director Ahmed Muztaba Jamal.

The countries which are taking part in the film festival are Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Congo, China, Check Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, North Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Café Transit of Iranian filmmaker Kambozia Paratvi was screened after the opening ceremony.