Science lovers in Beijing will have a chance to enjoy top-rate science films soon, as the city is holding a weeklong international science and technology film festival, starting on Sept 18, officials said on Wednesday.

The films will be shown at Beijing Planetarium and the National Film Museum of China.

"We will have 20 films from China, Germany, Argentina and the United States, including six IMAX films and seven dome films," said Liu Xiaokan, vice-president of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology. "Ten of the films will be making their debut in China."

The films cover topics such as the universe, artificial intelligence, wildlife and paleontology. According to festival organizers, directors and producers of some films will hold a discussion session with peers to share their experiences of science films and festivals.

The film festival is one of the major activities taking place to celebrate China's National Science Popularization Day, which starts on Sept 17. Interactive science carnivals and exhibitions on China's progress in aerospace technology are among more than 9,000 programs taking place.