Together director Chen Kaige will be part of a Chinesedelegation attending next month's 25th Starz Denver International Film Festival(DIFF) as part of a tribute to Chinese cinema. The festival, which runs fromOctober 10-20, will present a 'Salute To Chinese Cinema' as part of its annualfocus on a country or region and features several US premieres of Chinesefilms. A press conference and opening gala event will be held on October 11with stars and directors from the Salute, which is being organised inassociation with Encore International, the China arm of Liberty Media, andChina's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

TheChinese strand includes eight films: Chen Kaige's coming-of-age tale Together; Feng Xiaoning's historical epic Gada Meilin; Huang Jianxin's comedy The Marriage Certificate; Dazzling, a love story by Li Xin; Springtime In A Small Town, a drama by Tian Zhuangzhuang; Sai Fu Mailisi'sMongolian drama, Heavenly Grasslands; The Missing Gun, apolice drama by Lu Chuan; and Yu Zhong's romantic tragedy Roots And Branches, China's highest grossing film of the year. All thescreenings are US premieres except Dazzling and Springtime In A Small Town.

'Forthe first time in our 25 year history, we are shining the spotlight on China, acountry that has become an increasingly important contributor to the filmworld,' DIFF director Ron Henderson said in a statement. 'With thehelp of our friends at Encore International, we have amassed a group offantastic films that we are very proud to premiere here in the United States atour festival. It may be one of the only places you'll be able to see thesefilms the way they should be seen - in a theatre and on the big screen. Wethank Michelle Sie Whitten and Encore International, as well as China's SARFTfor making this extraordinary event possible.'

The Chinese contingentattending the festival is scheduled to include: Wu Ke, deputy director generalof the Film Bureau at SARFT; Zhang Yahui, liaison officer of SARFT; GadaMeilin director Feng Xiaoning andstar E Yonglin; Huang Xiaoning, director of The Marriage Certificate; Xu Jinglei, star of Dazzling; Chen Hong, producer and actress of Together; and Chen Kaige, who will be the subject of amini-tribute comprising screenings of Farewell My Concubine, Yellow Earth and Together.