Acclaimed Chinese Film Director, Feng Xiaogang, to be Immortalized in Cement in Hollywood, November 1, 2013

Acclaimed Chinese Film Director, Feng Xiaogang, to be Immortalized in Cement in Hollywood, November 1, 2013

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, November 1, 2013, 11 a.m., at the TCL Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, the most popular film director in China, Feng Xiaogang, will be immortalized in cement during a celebratory Handprint Ceremony. Feng joins the ranks of Cecil B. Demille, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Gene Kelly, and Ron Howard, among other great film directors.

Beijing-born Feng Xiaogang is a highly successful and visionary Chinese film director whose comedic films have consistently topped box office charts in China over the last 20 years. He recently broke that mold by making drama or period drama films such as the well-regarded Back to 1942, which will be shown at the TCL Chinese Theatre during the Beijing Film Panorama in America festival, Nov. 1-Nov. 3. The theatre will screen several of Feng's films with English subtitles throughout the three-day festival.

Feng is the first Chinese film director to be immortalized in cement at Hollywood's TCL Chinese Theatre. Formerly Grumman's Chinese Theatre and Mann's Chinese Theatre, the theatre has been home to many movie premieres, since 1927 as well as Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theater's most distinctive features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day. A number of local government, civic and business leaders will be on hand to help recognize this special event in Hollywood film history.

Feng will also be joined by Chinese film luminaries Xu Fan, Zhang Guoli, Deng Jive, Tang Gouging, and many other famous Chinese movie stars. This celebratory event is hosted by the Film Bureau of the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television. The handprint ceremony and film screenings were organized by Beauty Media, Inc., ICN TV Network, and TCL Chinese Theatre, and co-organized by Huayi Brothers Media Group.

FENG XIAOGANG

Director, Screenwriter

Filmography

1994: Gone Forever with My love
1997: The Dream Factory
1998: Be There or Be Square
1999: Sorry, Baby
?2000: A Sigh
?2001: Big Shot's Funeral
2003: Cell Phone?
2005: A World Without Thieves
?2006: The Banquet
2007: Assembly?
2008: If You are the One
2010: Aftershock?
2010: If You are the One 2
2012: Back to 1942

Chinese film director Feng Xiaogang began his career as a set designer in 1985, later moving on to write screenplays. With Farewell My Love (1984), Feng Xiaogang began his journey as a director. In the beginning of 1988, his film The Dream Factory became a big box office hit and marked the birth of "Chinese New Year Films." Since then, watching Feng's films during the New Year holiday has become a custom for many Chinese people. The dialogue in his films is widely quoted in people's daily lives. His New Year film of 2000, A Sigh, received five awards at the Cairo International Film Festival, including the Golden Pyramid. In 2003, Feng's film Mobile Phone, went beyond simply entertaining the audiences. The film is a subtle critique of today's society in China, leaving audiences a great deal to reflect upon.

In Feng's 2004 A World Without Thieves, he integrated action sequences with the intertwining plot, making this film commercially successful and artistically valuable. The film earned 130 million Yuan ($21 million) in box office, breaking the record of all Chinese New Year Films.

In recent years, Feng has made some explorations to make his films thrive both commercially and artistically. His 2006 film, The Banquet, is a costume epic. In this film, Feng worked with the world-renowned composer Tan Dun, Oscar® nominated costume designer Timmy Yip and the internationally acclaimed Woo-ping Yuen.

Feng's 2007 film, Assembly, is China's first attempt at a war film. Feng's realistic depiction of brutal battle scenes and his usual gentle touch on the relationship between people made the film Best Asian Picture of the 28th annual Hong Kong Film Award.

In 2008, Feng wrote and directed If You are the One. This romantic comedy is filled with Feng-styled humor. In addition, the film's gorgeous artistic and visual elements truly left the audiences in awe. If You are the One earned a stunning 325 million Yuan ($53 million), which broke the all-time Chinese box office record, and Feng became China's first director to earn more than one billion Yuan ($164 million) in box office revenue. Aftershock (2010) successfully relived the catastrophic 1976 Tangshan Earthquake. It added substantially to his films' box office earnings with yet another record take of 660 million Yuan ($108 million).

Feng's films have been topping the domestic box office chart for more than two decades and his never-ending passion for film is continuing to push him to make even greater breakthroughs. His works are greatly appreciated by the Chinese audiences, and have earned him the title as "The Box Office Guarantee."

Acclaimed Chinese Film Director, Feng Xiaogang,? to be Immortalized in Cement in Hollywood, November 1, 2013

What: The Film Bureau of the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television are hosting a handprint ceremony honoring Feng Xiaogang and a three-day film festival, Beijing Film Panorama in America. The event has been organized by Beauty Media, Inc., ICN TV Network, and TCL Chinese Theatre, and co-organized by Huayi Brothers Media Group. A cross section of Chinese film stars and film industry leaders will be on hand to support Feng Xiaogang and the three-day film screening of his films.

Who: Beijing-born Feng Xiaogang, is China's most popular and successful film director. His comedic films have consistently topped box office charts in China over the last 20 years. He recently broke that mold, however, with an award-winning feature film, Back to 1942, which chronicles one of China's darkest moments in the 20th century, the famine in Henan province during WWII. Two American actors, Adrien Brody and Tim Robbins starred in the film.

Why: Opportunity to emphasize the international scale of Chinese filmmaking and the remarkable credentials of filmmaking talent in China, in particular, Feng Xiaogang.

Who Should Attend: Hollywood film and TV industry CEOs and Directors, A-List Actors, Talent Agencies, Entertainment Industry Executives and Investors, Entertainment and Business Media, Entertainment Marketers, Entertainment Lawyers, Local & Regional Government Authorities, University & College Film Schools.

When:
Friday, November 1, 2013?, 10:00 a.m.: Handprint Ceremony;
?7:00 p.m.: Reception & Black-Tie Dinner

Film Screenings:
Friday-Sunday, November 1-3: Beijing Film Panorama Film in America

Where:
TCL Chinese Theatre, 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

Backgrounder on Event Organizers and Hosts

Beauty Media, Inc.

Beauty Media, Inc. was set up in 1994 and is headquartered in Beijing. It is a Chinese private cultural media enterprise. Beauty specializes in media production, broadcasting, industrial management, audio-video programming, creation and distribution of animated programs, and the planning and holding of large scale cultural communication activities and festivals.

The company has a massive collection of audio-visual resources and has developed distribution channels for cultural products around the world in order to spread its excellent Chinese cultural products. Beauty Media consists of various divisions including the Beauty Cultural Communication Co., Ltd., ICN TV Network, Chinese American Voice Radio and Laugh Bar Co., Ltd.

Film Bureau of the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China

Film Bureau of the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China is in charge of Chinese film industry.

Major duties: formulate development plans and policies of the film industry; guide and regulate film production, release and screening; examine and approve the establishment and revocation of film production houses, cross-region distribution and screening unites; organize the film censoring work, and issue and revoke the film production permits and film screening permits; guide and organize film screening in rural areas; supervise film archive management and technology R&D; undertake international exchange and cooperation on co-production and film import and export; guide the management of earmarked funds for films; guide and coordinate major film events in China.

Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television

Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio, Film and Television is a direct affiliate of Beijing Municipal Government, responsible for the management of the radio, film and TV industries in Beijing. Its major duties include the following: Implement national principles and policies of radio, film and TV publicity and production and properly guide public opinion and production; formulate local regulations and draft regulations of audio-visual programs on the radio, film, TV and Internet and supervise and inspect the implementation of these regulations; promote the institutional reform in radio, film and TV industries; regulate radio, film, TV industries in Beijing; promote public services in these industries; supervise service organizations providing audio and video programs on radio, film, TV and Internet and supervise their businesses, and regulate radio, film, TV programs, audio and visual Internet programs and programs on public audio-visual carriers; manage the technological work of the service industry of audio-visual programs on the radio, film, TV and Internet in Beijing and guide the international and domestic exchanges and cooperation of the industries; and, manage industry safety in Beijing.

Huayi Brothers Media Group Corporation

Huayi Brothers Media Group Corporation, one of the largest private entertainment groups in China, was founded in Beijing in 1994 by Chairman & CEO Wang Zhongjun and President Wang Zhonglei. It is the owner, producer and distributor of some of China's most popular film and television productions, and leads the entertainment industry through highly innovative approaches to its film, television, talent agency, music and other businesses. Over the past several years, Huayi Brothers has built a library of marquee entertainment properties and has established itself as a trusted brand that consistently delivers high-quality commercial entertainment.

As one of the most successful private film and television companies in China, Huayi Brothers has helped bring more than a dozen financially successful blockbusters to the silver screen, including "Cell Phone", "A World Without Thieves", "Rob-B-Hood", "Assembly", "The Blood Brothers", the "If You Are The One" series, "The Forbidden Kingdom", "The Message", "Look For A Star", "Aftershock", "Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame", "Love", and "Painted Skin".

"Painted Skin", hailed as both an artistic and commercial triumph, reinvigorated a flagging film industry by earning a record more than RMB700 million at the domestic box office. In television, Huayi Brothers has also been the driving force behind hit series such as "Soldiers Sortie", "My Chief and My Regiment" and "Dwelling Narrowness", all winning top ratings in the same year.

As a leader of this talent-driven industry, the Huayi Brothers' success is based on its deep commitment to forming cooperative partnerships and putting the needs of its people first. In film, the company has established close relationships with some of the Chinese film industry's most distinguished filmmakers, like Feng Xiaogang and Chen Kuofu, and its highly innovative approach toward film production has both influenced and led the development of the entire industry.

In television, Huayi Brothers has built a sophisticated production studio network by bringing in some of China's greatest production talent. By the end of 2011, the company has expanded its network to 12 studios.

As a talent agency, Huayi Brothers represents more than 100 A-list and emerging stars in movies, television and music, making it the leading talent agency in China. The company's success is borne out of a passion for discovering and cultivating new talent, earning it a reputation for its lasting relationships with many of China's most gifted contemporary stars and filmmakers.

Huayi Brothers' business development philosophy has always been grounded in future-oriented thinking and constant innovation. Since being listed on ChiNext in 2009, the company has served as the global ambassador for Chinese pop culture by expanding its business up the industry chain. Today Huayi Brothers not only does content production, it has also built new distribution channels (such as self-owned cinemas) and invested deeply in derivative businesses based on original IP, including cultural tourism, video games, location-based entertainment and more, This ambitious goal will reshape how the world sees Chinese entertainment, aligning with Huayi Brothers' mission to "touch the hearts of audiences" in China and abroad through meaningful, entertaining, and unforgettable works of art.

ICN TV Network

ICN TV Network was formerly known as International Audio-Visual Communication Inc. (hereinafter referred to as IAVC). IAVC, founded in 1980, was the first media group to broadcast high-quality Chinese programs from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to the Americas.

After ICN was founded in 2010, it has played a bigger role in media, expanding its television coverage all over North America. ICN, with offices in Southern California, is a Chinese TV media group with large audience coverage in North America. It has 16 channels covering Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Austin, Dallas and Vancouver, Toronto in Canada. Chinese and English channels broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including programs of real-time news, entertainment, dramas, education and culture, current events, and financial investment, by the means of satellite, terrestrial TV, cable TV, Internet and mobile phone. ICN has more than 100 million direct audience of terrestrial and cable televisions, satellite TV signal covering all of North America. Audiences from all over the world can also watch ICN shows on both Chinese and English channels through Internet and mobile phones.

ICN has a powerful team specialized in resource integration, which is capable of penetrating deeply into local media resources. This team provides customized public activities and promotions to customers together with other media such as radio, TV, printed media and outdoor advertising. In the future, with its unique advantage and influence, ICN plans to build up more effective media platforms to provide convenient one-stop services. ICN believe that dissemination creates value, dissemination accomplishes brand.

SOURCE ICN TV Network

ICN TV Network

CONTACT: Jerry Brown, ?Public Relations, DIGNEY MARIO & CO, TCL Chinese Theatre, 323-547-7959, jbrown@digneypr.com; or Shelley Liu, ?ICN TV Network, 626-337-8889, Shelleyliu@iavcusa.com; or John O'Malley, ?Media Relations, ?O'Malley International Associates, 626-432-4896, johnomalley@sprintmail.com


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