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Starring some of East Asia's biggest female names, Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li and Michelle Yeoh, Dream Works' "Memoirs of a Geisha," skedded for a December release, looks to keep awareness of the territory's industry at a high pitch throughout 2005. And there's plenty of product from established Asian directors to keep fest programmers on their toes.
The region's biggest production, Chen Kaige's $35 million historical magical saga "The Promise," shot in China, finally wrapped in September. But 14 months of post-production makes this a contender for Cannes or Venice in 2006.
Meanwhile, John Woo, who's in pre-production on his first feature in China, $50 million historical drama "The Battle of Red Cliff," with Chow Yun-fat and Jet Li, recently shot a UNICEF short in Beijing that will preem at Venice this fall.
CHINA
* After wrapping Chinese locations in Yunnan province in January, Zhang Yimou has moved to Japan for the remaining scenes on a small-scale drama about a Nipponese father who travels to southern China to help out his dying son. Starring Ken Takakura, Kiichi Nakai and Shinobu Terajima, and produced by Bill Kong of Hong Kong's Edko Films, the Chinese-Japanese co-production has no official English title yet. Direct translation is "Riding Alone for a Thousand Li."
* Helmer Tian Zhuangzhuang ("Springtime in a Small Town," "The Blue Kite") recently wrapped a biopic of...