Taiwan's CMC Entertainment has boarded Chang Tso-chi's gangster drama Butterfly. The long-gestating film has been a regular participant at project markets since it was first announced in 2003. Chang is attending Filmart's HAF with his forthcoming feature, The Dream.

Production of Butterfly halted one year ago when funds ran out. CMC's cash injection allows Chang to conduct two weeks of reshoots in Taipei and on location in picturesque harbour town Nanfangao. The feature will be the first completed by Chang since the award-winning The Best of Times in 2002.

Investment is a change of direction for CMC Entertainment who fully-financed big budget supernatural thriller Silk ($6m) and majority-financed period action epic Blood Brothers ($10m) with Hong Kong-based Sil-Metropole. CMC also invested in John Woo's Red Cliff, which is scheduled to start shooting this month.

CMC's in-house producer Huang Chin-wen explains, 'CMC stepped into the project out of its appreciation of Chang's unique aesthetic and passion for cinema. We're hoping that this would lead the company into further co-operation with other Taiwanese auteur directors.'

CMC takes all rights on Butterfly which is expected to be completed by August, ready for autumn festivals. Chang's The Best of Times competed at the Venice Film Festival in 2002. Sales of Butterfly will launch at Cannes through a yet-to-be-determined international sales agency.

CMC officially launches Asian sales of Blood Brothers at their booth in Filmart this week having completed distribution deals with Taiwan's Fox, China's Huayi Brothers and Korea's M&FC. Rights outside Asia are handled by Fortissimo Films.

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