The director of Blood Brothers revealed on Friday that the film has been formally invited by the organizer of the Venice Film Festival to be this year's closing film, shown on September 8.

Chen Yili told a reporter with Oriental Morning Post that he had received an official notification from the festival a couple of days ago.

The production side is now arranging the leading stars' schedules. Actors Daniel Wu, Liu Ye, Chen Chang and actresses Hsu Chi and Li Xiaolu are expected to attend the closing ceremony of this year's Venice Film Festival.

The film attracted international attentions for its supervisors John woo and Terence Chang, who had been away from Chinese film for 14 years.

"The Venice Film Festival has always been interested in new directors' productions. And yet Blood Brothers is produced by three Chinese film-makers who used to live in the United States," Chen Yili said, explaining why they sent the film to Venice.

The film will premiere in China on August 16.

(CRI.cn July 9, 2007)