Between Christmas and Chinese Spring Festival China's movie houses will be aflicker, as usual, with a wide range of flicks. For years, this has been one of the hottest times for showing new Chinese films, second only to the summer vacation.

This year, the on-going festive season is offering movie-goers a variety of light-hearted films from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

The most promising ones among them include Sound of Colours (Dixiatie), Cell Phone (Shouji), My Father and I (Wo he Baba), Jade Goddess of Mercy (Yu Guanyin), Magic Kitchen (Mohuan Chufang), Anna in Kungfu-land (Anna Yu Wulin), and Silver Hawk (Feiying Nuxia).

Sound of Colours is adapted from celebrated Taiwan illustrator Jimmy Liao's best-selling comic story book Subway.

Directed by Hong Kong director Ma Weihao and starring Dong Jie, Zhang Zhen, Tony Leung, Miriam Yeung and Viter Fang, the film begins with a blind girl Zhang Haiyue (played by Yeung), stepping onto the subway to take viewers on a comic and romantic ride.

Based on a novel by writer Liu Zhenyun, Cell Phone deals with mid-life crisis and the themes of loyalty and betrayal in marriage.

It is "commercial film guru" Feng Xiaogang's newest work and stars popular comic actors Ge You and Zhang Guoli, along with actresses Xu Fan.

My Father and I is the directorial debut of Beijing-based actress Xu Jinglei.

Starring Xu Jinglei as Xiao Yu, a single mother, and director/actor Ye Daying as her widowed father Lao Yu, the heart-warming film tackles the subtle subject of a father-daughter relationship in a working class Chinese family.

Jade Goddess of Mercy is based on best-selling author Hai Yan's novel of the same title, which was first made into a successful TV drama series. In the film version, the Jade Goddess of Mercy, with a touch of romance and humor, tells the story of a policewoman's love affair with three men.

Prominent Hong Kong film director Ann Hui, acclaimed for her refined artistry, delicate feminine perspective and box office success, has injected some new elements into this cops and robbers thriller set in the Chinese mainland.

The film Magic Kitchen is a romantic comedy about a pretty and lovable chef striving to break free from a family curse by concocting her food of love.

Directed by Lee Chi-Ngai, it stars Sammi Cheng, Andy Lau and Jerry Yan.

Hong Kong martial arts comedy Anna in Kungfu-land is directed by Raymond Yip Wai-Man and equipped with a powerful cast featuring Miriam Yeung (as Anna), Ekin Cheng, Wong Yau Nam, and Denise Ho.

In the film, advertising whizz Ekin (played by Ekin Cheng) suggests using a martial arts competition as the theme for an ad, little expecting that the client will insist on Ekin producing the entire ad by himself.

Directed by Jingle Ma, the high-flying action feature Silver Hawk revives the traditional image of a Robin Hood-like daring heroine who helps the helpless, beats the shameless, and outshines the police in an unspecified time in a futuristic society somewhere on the Earth.

Starring pop singer Richie Ren, woman kung fu superstar Michelle Yeoh, the "high-tech kung fu flick" will be screened across the Chinese mainland in late January.

(China Daily January 8, 2004)