New film to celebrate founding of the Party

Titled The Founding of a Party, the film will focus on the period between 1917, when the October Revolution broke out and 1921, the year the Chinese Communist Party was founded. The main characters will include figures such as Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong May-ling.

At a press conference in Beijing on April 22, the studio announced that the script is nearing completion and that shooting will commence in August and continue for about four months. The locations include Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha.

The film will feature a young cast, as the principal players, such as Mao, were 30 something during this period. As yet no names have been released.

The scriptwriters are also aged around 30, as: "I believe it is meaningful to have young writers joining us," said director Huang Jianxin. "At least they show their point of view on history, what they hope to see in the film and how they want to make the story," he explained.

China Film Group released The Founding of a Nation in 2009 to mark the 60-year anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The film made 415 million yuan ($61 million) and was the highest-grossing domestic production of the year. Thanks to its patriotic subject and the powerful call of Han Sanping, president of the China Film Group, the film had a star-studded cast of more than 100, including Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

The Founding of a Party is due to be released in July 2011, to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party on July 1.