Industry heavyweight CJ Entertainment's President KIM Joo-sung has unveiled the first film project partnership with China Film Group Corp (CFGC), easily the largest movie group in China. The announcement follows on the heels of memorandum of understanding between the two companies, signed in June of 2007. The Korea-China co-production will be a martial arts epic called Thangka, based on a Tibetan Buddhist painting of the same name.
The film is about a Tang Dynasty princess who was married to a Tibetan king and introduced Chinese culture in Tibet. It will be directed by Jacob Chang ("A Battle of Wits)" from a script by Liu Heng, whose Assembly is opening PIFF this year. Shooting is slated for March of next year with a released date in China planned for the Lunar New Year 2009. CJ hopes to complete about two films a year with CFGC.
The two companies, along with Sony Pictures USA, My Space China and Hong Kong studios Media Asia and Emperor Motion Pictures, have also announced the CFG Film Production Plan for New Director Talents which will set up a fund to nurture young Chinese filmmakers by providing assistance and co-development for low-budget films at various stages of production.
CJ continues to inject investment into the expanding Chinese market, having also started construction on multiplexes equipped with digital cinema technology, of which one is located in Shanghai.
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