Director Feng Xiaogang promotes his film "The Assembly" at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival in Pusan, South Korea on October 4, 2007. [sina.com.cn]

Who has produced Chinese audiences' favorite film and favorite actor to become their favorite director? The answer should be Feng Xiaogang, at least for the time being.

Feng's 2007 blockbuster "The Assembly" is leading the best film, director and actor nominations for the 29th Hundred Flowers Awards, an announcement on the event's Web site said on Wednesday.

The biennial awards are China's only prestigious film honors decided by ordinary moviegoers.

The nomination list is the result of a four-month-long poll, in which about three million votes have been cast, the organizing committee of the awards said.

In the best film category, "The Assembly" won 66,832 votes, almost 10,000 more than the second competitor, Yin Li's "The Knot." The other nominees are Ning Hao's "Crazy Stone," Gao Qunshu's "Tokyo Trial," and Feng Zhenzhi's "Invisible Wings."

About 3,000 more voters think Feng Xiaogang should beat Yin Li for the best director title. The other directors on the list are Stephen Chow ("CJ7"), Ning Hao and Gao Qunshu.

"The Assembly" star Zhang Hanyu leads the best actor nominee list, beating Chen Kun ("The Knot"), Guo Tao ("Crazy Stone"), Jet Li ("The Warlords"), and Damian Lau ("Tokyo Trial").

The male-dominated "Assembly" is slightly weaker in the best actress category than the romantic picture "The Knot," and "Assembly" star Tang Yan trails Li Bingbing. Other best actress hopefuls are Gao Yuanyuan ("Rob-B-Hood"), Vivian Hsu ("The Knot") and Gigi Leung ("The Secret of the Magic Gourd").

The final winners will be decided during the last round of voting, slated for September 13 at a ceremony in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

A total of 101 judges have been selected by a lottery from all of the voters who have helped decide the nominations.

(CRI August 14, 2008)