A scene from Ning Hao's new comedy film "Silver Medalist" [Photo: mtime.com]

Chinese director Ning Hao's new comedy film, "Silver Medalist", is set to share in the New Year's box-office stakes, the film's distributor has said.

China Film Group announced on Sunday that "Silver Medalist" will open in theaters during the Chinese lunar New Year holiday, which begins on January 25.

The exact release date may be February 5, but is yet to be fixed, according to the China Film Group.

"Silver Medalist" tells the adventures of two express deliverymen. It's the second major offering from Ning Hao who, although he directed a number of independent movies, was not recognized until 2006 when his dark-comedy "Crazy Stone" achieved unexpected commercial success.

"Crazy Stone" won Ning Hao an Outstanding New Director honor at last year's Huabiao Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards in China.

(CRI December 22, 2008)