All-star epic on New China's founding to open with record prints

BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A film about the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), starring about 200 big-name mainland and Hong Kong actors, will open with more than 1,450 prints in cinemas nationwide on Sept. 16.

"The number of prints is a record high in my career and also in the country' s cinema history," said the film's director Han Sanping Thursday. Han is also the chairman of the state-owned China Film Group Corporation which made the film.

The film, "Jian Guo Da Ye", or "The Founding of a Republic", is a recounting of Chinese history from 1945 to 1949. Mainland actors Tang Guoqiang and Zhang Guoli, and Hong Kong stars Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Andy Lau starred in the film. Directors Chen Kaige and John Woo were also among the cast.

"The film is a birthday gift dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic", said Han. "It will strike audiences as a sincere work."

Han said the film would open in Hong Kong about Sept. 20.

China will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China on October 1.