Filmmakers from China team up with Iranians for a kung fu movie. (Photo : Reuters)
Filmmakers from China and Iran inked a deal on Monday to partner for the co-production of a kung fu film.
Officials from China's Shinework Media and Iran's premier filmmaking firm Farabi Cinema Foundation (FCF) signed the agreement during the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival.
The film title, temporarily called "The Way to Shaolin," is the first joint film venture of Chinese and Iranian filmmakers. This is according to Shinework Media chairman, Shen Jian.
The martial arts film, which will star actors from both countries, will be filmed in both China and Iran. The production crew will also include Chinese and Iranian nationals.
"This is a legitimate, genuine and concrete cooperation, with joint efforts in directing and writing, about a very interesting story," Hojjatollah Ayyoubi, head of Iran's Cinema Organization, shared.
The upcoming film will also serve as an avenue by which the two nations can promote cultural exchange, tapping into each other's markets, according to FCF International Affairs director Amir Esfandiari.
"The Way to Shaolin" follows the story of an Iranian kung fu fan who later becomes a master of the martial arts and embarks on a sojourning toward the Shaolin Temple. The temple, located in China's Henan Province, is the Mecca of Kung Fu.
The Fajr International Film Festival is annually held to commemorate the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The festival showcases Iranian and international film titles.
Chinese director Feng Xiaogang's "1942" was awarded best screenplay during the film festival's 2013 edition. The movie centered on the lives of Chinese people who lived during a time of great war and famine.
