Fortissimo Film Sales andHong Kong production company FilmkoEntertainment have boarded Zhang Yang's Air(working title), one of 25 projects participating at this year's Hong Kong AsiaFilm Financing Forum (HAF).

Filmko announced today thatit is fully financing the $2.5m film while Fortissimo will handle world sales.Production is scheduled to start in southern China in May for delivery by the end of the year.

Produced by Er Yong for Beijing-basedMing Productions, the film is part black comedy and part road movie. It tellsthe story of a poor migrant worker who carries the corpse of his friend all theway across China so that he can be buried in his home town.

Scripted by Zhang and WangYao, the film is based on a real story that happened last year in China and created a storm of controversy when it wasreported.

"We are very excited to bein business with one of China's most proven and exciting young film-makers" saidFilmko CEO Alex Wong. "We are sure that this film will further establish ZhangYang as one of the strongest of China's young directors."

The production marks thefifth time that Fortissimo has worked with Zhang who has directed a string ofcommercial and critical hits including SpicyLove Soup, Shower, Quitting and Sunflower which won awards for best director and bestcinematography at San Sebastian lastyear.

"It is truly satisfying towork with a film-maker like Zhang Yang from his first film and continue the relationshipthrough his entire body of work," said Fortissimo co-chairmen Michael Wernerand Wouter Barendrecht.

Zhang is represented by CreativeArtists Agency.

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