Thrilling teamwork

Huaxia Film Distribution Co has worked with 13 production or cinema companies, such as Wanda Cinema and New Film Association Company, to produce Lift to Hell, a thriller that premiered on Feb 22. Gu Guoqing, president of Huaxia, notes that the alliance with the 13 major industry players will continue in future projects. The companies co-invest in the film and will make full use of their advantages in different aspects of the film's release. Lift to Hell stars Taiwan actor Lan Ching-lung and Hong Kong model Chrissie Chau.

Extra-sensory Hobbit

Peter Jackson's fantasy epic The Hobbit, which premiered in China on Feb 22, features Dolby's new sound format Atmos on six screens across the country, the latest one being the Lumiere Pavilions in Beijing. Atmos, the surround sound technology announced by Dolby Laboratories in April 2012, allows for an unlimited number of audio tracks to be distributed to theaters for optimal, dynamic rendering to loudspeakers based on the theater's capabilities. "I strive to make movies that allow the audience to participate in the events onscreen, rather than just watch them unfold," Jackson says in a statement released by Dolby. "Dolby Atmos provides the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about."

Left behind with love

Qu Jiangtao, cinematographer of the Academy Award-winning short film The Blood of Yingzhou District, directs his first commercial film Love Deposit, starring veteran actor Xia Yu and newcomer Zhou Hong. In the romantic drama, Xia plays a cafe owner who provides a special service for lovers: They can record words they want to say to each other and store it in the cafe. One year later, they will come to the cafe to see if the words still contain meaning. Qu built his reputation with A Grandson from America, a 2011 movie about the traditional shadow-players in Western China. Love Deposit will premiere on March 14.

Cross-talk at the movies

The Happy Life of Yang Guang, an urban comedy featuring some of China's most seasoned cross-talk performers, premiered on Feb 26.The film is the big-screen debut for seasoned cross-talk performer Yang Shaohua, who is 81 years old. He leads the cast with his son Yang Yi, also a cross-talk performer. The story, mainly the depiction of grassroots' life in Tianjin, is based on a smash TV drama about a kindhearted restaurant owner named Yang Guang.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/28/2013 page20)