Wanda’s festival favourite ‘The Crossing’ sells to North America
HONG KONG: Chinese drama The Crossing, the acclaimed directorial debut of young female filmmaker Bai Xue, has been picked up for a theatrical release in North America and a slew of other international territories.
Produced by Wanda Pictures, The Crossing premiered to positive reviews at last year’s Toronto Film Festival.
The film follows a shy Chinese high school student (Huang Yao) who gets recruited to smuggle goods across the border between southern China and Hong Kong. She has just turned 16.
The girl accepts the job with innocent dreams of saving enough money to fly with her friends to Japan, but her new line of work soon becomes increasingly dangerous.
Showbiz reviewer Clarence Tsui described the film as a “dynamic debut from a first-time director and her young cast.”
CMC Pictures, the international distributor of tycoon Li Ruigang’s state-support entertainment conglomerate China Media Capital, acquired the theatrical rights to The Crossing for North America, Australia and New Zealand — releases are expected sometime in the spring.
Trinity Film has picked up the title for a UK release, while Hong Kong’s Edko Entertainment has taken it for Hong Kong and Macau.
Notably, The Crossing made a triumphant homecoming late last year when it made its China premiere at the Pingyao International Film Festival, winning both Best Film and Best Actress honours.
It later scored a best screenplay prize at the Dublin International Film Festival; the film is currently screening in competition at Japan’s Osaka Asian Film Festival.
Wanda Pictures is shopping the film to other international markets during Hong Kong’s Filmart content trade show which has been on-going.