Actress Sharon Stone arrives in Shanghai

Hollywood actress Sharon Stone arrived in Shanghai late Tuesday night at Pudong International Airport. After passing immigration casually dressed in white slacks and a dark long-sleeved top, she was quickly driven downtown in a Mercedes Sedan to the JW Marriott Hotel.

The Basic Instinct actress’s arrival in Shanghai comes four days ahead of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival where she will be a member of the international panel of judges, headed by acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige. Alongside her on the panel will also be French actress Marion Cotillard, star of the new biopic film about the life of iconic 40s French signer Edith Piaf, La Vie en Rose.

Now in its 10th year, the festival begins this Saturday, June 16th with a red carpet opening at the Shanghai Grand Theatre and will run until June 24th. It will feature both lectures and screenings of international movies, some of which will be competing for the top award, the Jin Jue, or “Golden Goblet”.

Now we all know how seriously the SIFF is taken in film circles, don't we? All Shanghaiist remembers from SIFF two years ago are comments from a certain Chinese kung fu star. And boy are we looking to be similarly inspired this year.