Japan's Movie Eye Entertainment has teamed up with Beijing-based MegadiaEntertainment to co-produce a $5m romantic drama with the working title The Longest Night In Shanghai.

Directed by Zhang Yibai, whofirst came to attention with acclaimed drama Spring Subway, the film stars leading Chinese actress Vicki Zhaoand Japanese star Masahiro Motoki.

Currently shooting in Shanghai, the film tells the story of a Japanese stylist andmake-up artist (Motoki) who goes missing in the fast-paced Chinese city duringa music festival and runs into a gutsy Shanghai taxi driver (Zhao).

The two lonely souls form abond, although neither can speak each other's language.

Produced by Movie Eyefounder Taku Ushiyama, the film is co-financed by Movie Eye, Megadia, Japan's Avex and Yahoo! Japan. Supporting cast includes Japan's Naomi Nishida and Takashi Tsukamoto, Taiwan's Dylan Kuo and Hong Kong's Sam Lee

The film marks Movie Eye'sthird co-production with China, and the first with a private company, following Last Love, First Love with Shanghai FilmStudio and omnibus About Love withTianjin Film Studio. Movie Eye also recently co-produced pan-Asian horror omnibusBlack Night with Hong Kong's Filmko Entertainment and Thailand's Five Star.

Launched in 2000, Movie Eye isalso a distributor in Japan and has handled titles including Million Dollar Baby, A History Of Violence and Crash.

The company will be at Cannes buying films for Japan and selling its own films including Japaneseproductions The Night Time Picnic,based on the best-selling novel by Riku Onda, and action thriller Nightmare Detective. The latter isdirected by Shinya Tsukamoto (Haze, A Snake Of June) and stars RyuheiMatsuda and Keiko Kirishima.

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