Top Chinese actors involved include Huang Bo [pictured].

China’s state-owned studio China Film Group announced today that it will collaborate with online media Sohu Video and Nokia to co-produce seven short films by 7 A-list Chinese actors.

The actors are Liu Ye (Underdog Knight, Dark Matter), Huang Bo (Crazy Racer, Cow), Zhang Mo (Let the Bullets Fly), and four actors more well-known in the TV dramas: Wu Xiubo, Huang Lei, Li Guangjie and Wang Xuebing.

China Film Group will oversee the production of the seven films, providing scriptwriters and crews for the actor-turn-filmmakers, said Zhao Haicheng, president of China Film Group Corporation Production Corporation. The total budget of the films is not disclosed but Zhang said the three partners will spend more than $1.5m (RMB10m) solely on marketing and promotion of the films. Sohu Video will be the main distribution platform while China Film will compile the films and edit them into a feature-length film for theatrical release.

Nokia will sponsor the project in its production, marketing and screening stage, with tie-in promotion events for its smart phone series X7.

Shooting of the seven films is expected to start within a month while the films’ online premiere is scheduled to take place in December.

Sohu Video is the online media subsidiary of China’s major portal site Sohu.com. As an online video media similar to internet giants Youku and Tudou, Sohu Video has so far produced three online variety programs and three successful web drama series. This project is the company’s first film production.

China Film Group has last year partnered with Youku.com on the Youku Original series – “11 Degrees New Media Film Project.”

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