Chinese state-owned China Film Group Corporation (CFGC) announced five separate deals and joint ventures at the Shanghai International Film Festival on Saturday (June 23).

CFGC and Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation have officially boarded Chinese filmmaker Lu Chuan's historical drama Nanking ! Nanking ! as co-financiers alongside Beijing-based Stellar Megamedia. Hong Kong 's Media Asia is also co-financing the $12m film which is scheduled to start shooting in North-East China in August.

In addition, US post-production technology company, Crest Digital, signed a joint venture agreement with CFGC to set up China Film Crest Digital Technology (Beijing) Ltd.

The joint venture will be located at the China Film Group Digital Film Production Base, in Huairou district north of Beijing, which is expected to start operations in March next year. According to CFGC, Chen Kaige's drama Mei Lanfang will be the first film to shoot at the new studios.

The new China Film Crest joint venture will engage in DVD and VCD manufacturing and also introduce anti-piracy technology, TRAC, according to Crest president Ronald Stein.

Meanwhile, Edko Films has acquired Hong Kong rights to An Zhanjun's The Parking Attendant In July from CFGC, a contemporary drama about father-son relationships starring Fan Wei (The Road). According to Edko's China general manager, Wayne Jiang, the company intends to start handling international sales on some CFGC films.

CFGC has also signed a MoU on product placement with L'Oreal and a sales deal with Swiss/French Sight and Sound Network International on documentary Mei Lanfang: A Great Master Revisited.