HAVANA - Performers from 20 countries vied for top honors, including the best clown, at the 14th International Circus Festival that began on Thursday in Cuba.

The festival, titled Circuba 2012, was inaugurated Wednesday night at Havana's Karl Marx Theater, with a gala featuring artists from host country Cuba as well as Argentina, Canada and Russia.

Competitions started Thursday for awards in the categories of best male and female performers, most popular performers, and for the first time ever, best new artist.

The festival enters a climax when the 5th Erdwin Fernandez International Clown Competition takes place in Havana on Aug 23-26.

The competition was named after one of Cuba's most beloved entertainers, Erdwin Fernandez (1928-1997) who was best known for playing a clown called Trompoloco or Crazy Top, referring to the spinning toy. He also had a long and successful career in theater, television and films.

Rolando Rodriguez Romero, director of Cuba's National Circus and of this edition of Circuba, said there would be 29 shows during the 10-day event performed by international artists.

For the first time, the festival would also be celebrated outside Havana in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, he added.