The 15th Golden Rooster and Full Blossom Film Festival, organized by the China Film Association, will begin Wednesday in southeast China's scenic city of Hangzhou.

 

The film festival this year will screen nearly 40 foreign films and 40 domestic films, including The Myth, Fearless, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles and Confessions of Pain.

 

Known as the country's top honors in the film industry, the Golden Rooster and Full Blossom Awards will for the first time this year be open to actors and directors from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

 

Hong Kong stars Jackie Chan, Andy Lau and Tony Leung are among the first group of stars from Hong Kong and Taiwan to vie for the Best Actor Award this year, while Hong Kong filmmakers Stephen Chow, Benny Chan and Stanley Tong are nominated for the Best Director Award, along with Chinese mainland directors Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou.

 

The awards will finally be unveiled on October 28 (Saturday), with Chinese actress Sun Li, Liu Yifei, and popular singer Sun Nan among those in attendance.

 

(CRI October 23, 2006)