Fortissimo Film Sales, the Dutch-Hong Kong-based world sales group, has picked up international rights to the high-profile remake of Chinese classic Springtime In A Small Town.

The new film (pictured), a story of lust unleashed on a respectable bourgeois family following the arrival of a mysterious visitor, is now being filmed by The Blue Kite director Tian Zhuangzhuang on location in Southern China. It is executive produced by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon producer Bill Kong with Fortissimo's Wouter Barendrecht and Michael Werner as associate producers.

Tian has assembled a world-class crew including In The Mood For Love cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing and Oscar winning art director Tim Yip. Script is by A Cheng, who previously wrote Chen Kaige's King Of Children. The cast includes many of China's rising stars: Wu Jun, Xin Baiquing, Hu Jingfan, Lu Sisi and Ye Xiaokeng.

Paradis/Orly Films of France also boarded the production, taking French, Belgian, Italian, Spanish and Swiss rights, as well as associate producer credits for Marc Sillam, Eric Heumann and Alain Vannier.

The new picture marks the return behind the camera of Tian, who has spent much of the last ten years since The Blue Kite working as producer and executive producer on films by the cream of China's "sixth Generation" of directors.